Central neuronal circuit innervating the rat heart defined by transneuronal transport of pseudorabies virus

• DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.15-03-01998.1995
• Publication Date: 2018-04-06T16:05:41Z
• Authors: A Standish; LW Enquist; JA Escardo; JS Schwaber
• Keywords: Nucleus ambiguus; Solitary tract; Locus coeruleus; Pseudorabies; Dorsal motor nucleus; Raphe nuclei; Medulla; Lateral reticular nucleus

We defined the central circuit innervating various regions of rat heart using a neurotropic herpesvirus as transneuronal tracer. Location viral antigens in brain after cardiac injection three strains pseudorabies virus (PRV) provided insight into vagal preganglionic neurons and their connected interneurons. At short survival times, labeled were localized both nucleus ambiguus (NA) dorsal motor vagus (DMV), an arc-like band through reticular formation between NA DMV. The amount DMV labeling was dependent on strain. Similar distributions observed following either ganglionic, sinoatrial node, or ventricular injections. intermediate times postcardiac injection, replicated trans-synaptically transported to interneurons primarily formation. Labeled also ventral solitary tract (NTS). longer found NTS with most abundant label dorsomedial tract. Abundant neuronal intermediolateral cell column, raphe nuclei, caudal rostral lateral medulla, A5 region, locus coeruleus, paraventricular hypothalamic nuclei. These data define circuits including interneuronal connections that innervate targets.