Tolbert D L, Gutting J C
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, St Louis University School of Medicine, MO 63104, USA.
Neuroscience. 1997 Sep;80(2):359-71. doi: 10.1016/s0306-4522(97)00081-x.
The distribution of wheatgerm agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase-labelled mossy fibre terminals of internal and external cuneate projections to the cerebellar anterior and posterior lobes were quantitatively analysed in adult rats. Computer-based image analysis mapped the spatial distribution of labelled cuneocerebellar terminals in two-dimensional reconstructions of the unfolded cortex. Cuneocerebellar projections are mainly ipsilateral in their distribution. Cuneate projections to the anterior lobe vermis-medial paravermis terminate in well-circumscribed, irregularly-shaped patches. These terminal patches are aligned and form a longitudinally continuous, parasagittally oriented stripe in the lateral vermis-medial paravermis of lobules I-V. These terminal patches represent the topographically organized divergent projections of different parts of the internal and external cuneate nuclei. Cuneocerebellar projections to the lateral paravermis-hemisphere, particularly in the posterior part of lobule V, are organized as a transversely oriented band of terminals. Cuneocerebellar projections to the posterior lobe terminate mainly in three transversely oriented bands of terminals located at the junction between lobules. An anterior band of terminals was located in lobule VI anteriorly and was continuous with the band of terminals located in the posterolateral part of lobule V at the junction of these two lobules. Intermediate and posterior transversely oriented bands of terminals were located at the VII-VIII and VIII-IX junctions, respectively. Cuneocerebellar projections to these three bands largely appear to represent convergent projections from different parts of the cuneate nuclei. These findings are discussed in relation to similarly analysed and previously reported findings on the organization of lower thoracic-upper lumbar spinocerebellar projections and in the context of how cuneocerebellar somatosensory input may be differentially organized and processed in disparate areas of the cerebellar cortex.
在成年大鼠中，对楔束核内外侧投射至小脑前叶和后叶的小麦胚凝集素-辣根过氧化物酶标记的苔藓纤维终末的分布进行了定量分析。基于计算机的图像分析在展开的皮质的二维重建中描绘了标记的楔小脑终末的空间分布。楔小脑投射主要分布在同侧。楔束核投射至前叶蚓部-内侧旁蚓部，终末位于界限清楚、形状不规则的斑片内。这些终末斑片相互对齐，在小叶I-V的外侧蚓部-内侧旁蚓部形成一条纵向连续、矢状旁位的条纹。这些终末斑片代表了楔束核不同部分的拓扑组织性发散投射。楔小脑投射至外侧旁蚓部-半球，特别是在小叶V的后部，组织成一条横向排列的终末带。楔小脑投射至后叶主要终止于位于小叶交界处的三条横向排列的终末带。一条前部终末带位于小叶VI的前部，并与位于小叶V后外侧部的终末带在这两个小叶的交界处连续。中间和后部横向排列的终末带分别位于VII-VIII和VIII-IX交界处。楔小脑投射至这三条带在很大程度上似乎代表了来自楔束核不同部分的汇聚投射。结合对下胸段-上腰段脊髓小脑投射组织的类似分析和先前报道的结果，以及楔小脑躯体感觉输入在小脑皮质不同区域可能如何被差异组织和处理的背景下，对这些发现进行了讨论。
