Figure 9.

Distribution of Convergently Innervated Ascending rNTS Projection Neurons in Functionally Distinct Regions of the Rostrocentral Subdivision. Each reconstructed neuron along with its innervation topography was placed into a subdivisional template of the rostral rNTS adapted from Corson et al. 2012 (viewed here in the horizontal plane). (A) A myelin-stained horizontal rNTS section reveals the histologically identified subdivision borders as well as the dorsal-ventral level of the convergently innervated neurons (dashed box represents region in B). (B) The cell body of each convergently innervated neuron was located in the rostrocentral subdivision. Even neurons that had cell bodies located near the rostrocentral-rostrolateral border sent the majority of their dendrites medially into the rostrocentral subdivision. As very few neurons were labeled in the rostrolateral subdivision (see Figure 1) and the majority of the terminal field overlap at this dorsal-ventral plane is in the rostrocentral subdivision, no neurons were reconstructed from the rostrolateral subdivision. (C) Multipolar and (D) elongate neurons from B) are depicted individually, demonstrating a range of innervation patterns. Criteria for multipolar and elongate neuron morphology were emergence of more than 2 dendrites from soma (multipolar) and ovoid soma morphology (elongate). Small roman numerals correspond to those in (B) to aid in cell identification. Note that cell xi* is located caudal to the field of view in (B). 4V = Fourth ventricle. DCN = Dorsal cochlear nucleus. M = Medial rNTS subdivision, RC = Rostrocentral rNTS subdivision, RL = Rostrolateral rNTS subdivision. Scale in A = 750 μm. A–P measurements are anterior to area postrema and M–L measurements are lateral to the midline.