Development of the brain stem in the rat. IV. Thymidine-radiographic study of the time of origin of neurons in the pontine region.

Groups of pregnant rats were injected with two successive daily doses of 3H-thymidine from gestational day 12 and 13 (E12 + 13) until the day before parturition (E21 + 22) in order to label in their embryos the proliferating precursors of neurons. At 60 days of age the proportion of neurons generated (or no longer labeled) on specific embryonic days was determined quantitatively in 14 nuclei of the pontine region. Peak production time of neurons of the trigeminal mesencephalic nucleus was on day E11 or earlier, with a small proportion generated on day E12. Peak production time of the trigeminal motor neurons was on day E12, with a small proportion produced earlier. Neurons of the principal sensory nucleus were generated between days E13 and E16, with a peak on day E14; the late-produced neurons tended to belong to a class of intermediate and large cells. The bulk of the neurons of the supratrigeminal and infratrigeminal nuclei arose on days E15 and E16. Neurons of the locus coeruleus are produced mostly on day E12, with about 20% of the cells arising on day E13. The bulk of the neurons of the dorsal tegmental nucleus (Gudden's) are produced between days E13 and E15, whereas most of the neurons of the deep (ventral) tegmental nucleus are produced on day E15. A dorsal-to-caudal gradient was also obtained between the dorsal and ventral nuclei of the lateral lemniscus, the neurons of the former being generated between days E12 and E15; the latter, between days E13 and E17. The neurons of both the pars lateralis and the pars medialis of the parabrachial nucleus were produced simultaneously between days E13 and E15, with a peak on day E13. The heterogeneous collection of neurons of the pontine paramedial reticular formation was produced for day E11 (or earlier) until day E15. Finally, the neurons of the raphe pontis parvicellularis were generated at an even rate between days E13 and E15, whereas the bulk of the neurons of the raphe pontis magnocellularis were produced on days E15 and E16. On the basis of datings obtained for 9 subdivisions of the entire brain stem trigeminal complex, hypotheses were offered of the cytogenetic components of the system. The sequence of neuron production in the dorsal and deep tegmental nuclei was related to their connections with divisions of the mammillary and habenular nuclei on a "first come-first serve" basis.