Selectivity of the lesions induced by substance P-saporin conjugate (SSP-SAP) in the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN) region. Choline acetyl-transferase immunoreactivity (ChAT-ir) of rats treated with saline (control; A, C, and E) or SSP-SAP (B, D, and F) at facial motor nucleus (7) (A and B), nucleus ambiguus (Amb) (C and D), or dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) and hypoglossal motor nucleus (12) (E and F). Note that cholinergic neurons seem unaffected by the toxin. Group data (G). Each column represents the total number of cholinergic neurons. Scale bar = 100 µm.