A RETROGRADE DOUBLE FLUORESCENT TRACING STUDY OF THE LEVATOR PALPEBRAE SUPERIORIS MUSCLE IN THE CYNOMOLGUS MONKEY

In the cynomolgus monkey, motoneurons innervating the levator palpebra e superioris muscle form a nucleus within the oculomotor nuclei called the central caudal nucleus. After double fluorescent neuronal retrogr ade tracing experiments, using fast blue and diamidino yellow as trace rs in the levator palpebrae superior muscles, labelled motoneurons (30 %) were found in an unpaired central caudal nucleus. Approximately 2% of the labelled motoneurons were double-labelled. The labelled and dou ble-labelled neurons were distributed randomly over the central caudal nucleus, lateralization of populations of levator motoneurons within this nucleus was not observed. The afferent innervation of the levator palpebrae superioris muscle was restricted to the ophthalmic branch a rea of the gasserian ganglion. Primary afferent labelled neurons were absent from the mesencephalic nucleus of the fifth nerve. Surprisingly , fast blue was also found in the ophthalmic branch area of the contra lateral ganglion of Gasser, while diamidino yellow was present only ip silaterally. About 1% of the afferent labelled neurons were double-lab elled. The results reveal that in the cynomolgus monkey the central ca udal nucleus is not only topographically but also functionally one nuc leus, Afferent innervation of the levator palpebrae superioris muscle is probably bilaterally organized.