Figure 2.

Major vagal nerve branches and central projections from the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) in the rat, based on anterograde and retrograde tracing experiments. Note that the arrows only indicate the innervated organs and tissues and do not distinguish afferents and efferents. Also note that the spleen is not innervated by the vagus. amb, nucleus ambiguous; AP, area postrema; BST, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis; CeA, central nucleus amygdala; DM, dorsal nucleus hypothalamus; dmnX, dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus; LHA, lateral hypothalamic area; PAG, periaqueductal gray; PBN, parabrachial nucleus; PVN, paraventricular nucleus hypothalamus; RVL, rostral ventrolateral medulla; SN, substantia nigra; agd, gastroduodenal artery; ags, left gastric artery; ahc, hepatic artery proper; al, splenic artery; ams, superior mesenteric artery. (Figure modified after Ref. 16.)