Afferent fibers in the substantia gelatinosa of the adult monkey (Macaca mulatta): a Golgi study.

In horizontally and sagittally sectioned Golgi preparations of the adult monkey spinal cord the afferent fibers in the substantia gelatinosa (laminae II and III of Rexed, '52) were studied with the hope of finding clues that would make it possible to correlate them with the afferent fibers that Ramón y Cajal ('09) traced from the white matter into the substantia gelatinosa in Golgi preparations of the newborn cat. Throughout the substantia gelatinosa there are fibers with fine terminal branches, bearing small "bouton en passant" endings. These fine terminal branches and the collaterals of the axons of the neurons in the substantia gelatinosa are similar; hence, the fine terminal branches are interpreted as the terminals of the proprius bundles generated by the axons of the neurons in the substantia gelatinosa. Also, there are fibers in lamina II that can be followed for relatively long distances (900 microns) before they are cut off in section. They have collaterals bearing large irregular endings, which usually consist of several or more elongated swelling connected by constricted regions. Some of these endings have holes within them and their surfaces have prominent indentations. The fibers with fine terminal branches and the fibers with large irregular endings are interpreted here as the two varieties of fine or superficial collaterals of the substance of Rolando described by Ramóm y Cajal ('09). The most elaborate afferent formations in the present material are found in horizontal sections. They are designated "confined ansiform axonal complexes" and are confined to elongated, oblong blocks of substantia gelatinosa that approximate each other in length, width and depth. Their branches, running rostrally and caudally, loop back and forth, interweave in and intricate pattern and bear large synaptic endings. Because these formations are elaborate and because their parent fibers and initial branches are thicker in lamina III than they are in lamina II, these complexes are interpreted here as the large or deep collaterals of the substance of Rolando described by Ramón y Cajal ('09). Considering their shapes, sizes and surface contours, it is probable that the large endings on the ansiform axonal complexes and the large irregular endings on the long fibers in lamina II are the central terminals in the glomeruli of the substanta gelatinosa that have been revealed by electron microscopy. Finally, there are fine collaterals from fibers in Lissauer's fasciculus which distribute exclusively to the marginal zone (lamina I) of the dorsal horn. Their endings are ovoid or bulbous and are almost uniformly approximately 2 microns in diameter. Undoubtedly, these collaterals are the marginal collaterals Ramón y Cajal ('09) demonstrated in Ehrlich's methylene blue preparations of the 8-day old cat.