Fibrous connections between the gigantocellular reticular nucleus and the motor nucleus of cranial nerves that control the oculomotor muscles in the rat

Aim:To observe the fibrous connections between the gigantocellular reticular nucleus(NRG) and the motor nucleus of cranial nerves that control the oculomotor muscles in the rat.Methods:The two bidirectional tracers WGA-HRP and DiI were respectively used to map the path.The two tracers were respectively transfused into the left side of NRG,and the distributions of 2 tracers were observed under the light microscope.Results:The retrogradely labeled neurons and antrogradely labeled fibers were found in double sides of both nucleus of oculomotor nerve and nucleus of trochlear nerve,in addition,the number of the labeled cells at the same side was more than that at the other side.There were the labeled cell bodies in the parvicellular part of nucleus of oculomotor nerve.The nervous signal was not discovered in the abducens nucleus.The marks of the two tracers were basicly consistent.Conclusion:The NRG and the motor nucleus of cranial nerves that control the oculomotor muscles in the rat have straight fibrous connection.