Studies of the central neural pathways to the stomach and Zusanli (ST36)

The purpose of this morphological study was to investigate the relation bet ween the meridian, meridian points and viscera using neuroanatomical tracer s. The common locations of the spinal cord and brain projecting to the stom ach and Zusanli were observed following injection of CTB (cholera toxin B s ubunit) and pseudorabies viruses (PRV-Ba, Bartha strain and PRV-Ba-Gal, gal actosidase insertion) into the stomach and Zusanli (ST36). After 4-5 days o f survival following injection into twelve rats, they were perfused, and th eir spinal cords and brains were frozen sectioned (30 mum). These sections were stained by X-gal histochemical, CTB and PRV-Ba immunohistochemical sta ining methods, and examined with the light microscope. The results were as follows: Commonly labeled medulla oblongata regions were dorsal motor nucle us of vagus nerve (DMV), nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) and area postrema (AP) following injection of CTB and PRV-Ba-Gal into stomach and Zusanli, r espectively. In the spinal cord, commonly labeled neurons were found in tho racic, lumbar and sacral spinal segments. Densely labeled areas were found in lamina IV, V, VH (intermediolateral nucleus) and X of the spinal cord. I n the brain, commonly labeled neurons were found in the Al noradrenalin cel ls/Cl adrenalin cells/caudoventrolateral reticular nucleus, dorsal motor nu cleus of vagus nerve, nucleus tractus solitarius, area postrema, raphe obsc urus nucleus, raphe pallidus nucleus, raphe magnus. nucleus, gigantocellula r nucleus, locus coeruleus, parabrachial nucleus, Kolliker-Fuse nucleus, A5 cell group, central gray matter, paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, lat eral hypothalamic nucleus, retrochiasmatic hypothalamic nucleus, bed nucleu s of stria terminalis and amygdaloid nucleus. Thus central autonomic center project both to the stomach and Zusanli. These morphological results sugge st that there is a commonality of CNS cell groups in brain controlling stom ach (viscera) and Zusanli (limb).