Light microscopic observations on the possible retinohypothalamic projection in the rat

Critical analysis of the Fink-Heimer stained sections of the experimental animals suggests that fibres leaving the optic pathway pass to various hypothalamic nuclei, including the preoptic, anterior hypothalamic, suprachiasmatic and premamillary nuclei.

Abstract

Following unilateral retinal destruction in rats the existence of a direct retinohypothalamic pathway was investigated using the Nauta and the Fink-Heimer methods. Critical analysis of the Fink-Heimer stained sections of the experimental animals suggests that fibres leaving the optic pathway pass to various hypothalamic nuclei: 1. Fibres from the dorsorostral part of the chiasm pass through the lamina terminalis and appear to end in the preoptic and anterior hypothalamic nuclei. 2. Fibres leaving the ventrocaudal border of the chiasm and optic tract pass to the arcuate and ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei. 3. From the dorsocaudal part of the chiasm fibres pass to the suprachiasmatic and ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei. 4. From the caudal part of the inferior bundle of the accessory optic tract fibres pass to the premamillary ventral nucleus. The amount of apparently terminal degeneration in the preoptic, anterior hypothalamic, suprachiasmatic and premamillary nuclei was small. Heavier terminal degeneration appears to be present in the arcuate and ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei.