A, camera lucida drawings of sections from the brainstem with Vc and C1–C2 lesioning. B, mean number of swallows before and after the Vc and C1–C2 lesioning or the sham operation. Before: before capsaicin injection to the whisker pad skin in the rats without Vc lesioning; after: after capsaicin injection to the whisker pad skin in the rats with Vc lesioning or sham operation. C, camera lucida drawings of sections from the brainstem with bilateral Pa5 lesionings. D, mean number of swallows before and after Pa5 lesioning or sham operation. Before: before capsaicin injection to the lingual muscle in the rats without Pa5 lesionings; after: after capsaicin injection to the lingual muscle in the rats with bilateral Pa5 lesionings or sham operation. #The lesioning areas. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01.