Anatomic relationships of the human arcuate nucleus of the medulla: A DiI-labeling study

The arcuate nucleus (ARC) at the ventral surface of the human medulla has been historically considered a precerebellar nucleus. More recently, it has been implicated in central chemoreception, cardiopulmonary coupling and blood pressure responses. A deficiency of the ARC has been reported in a subset of putative human developmental disorders of ventilatory function. To investigate anatomic relationships of the ARC with brainstem regions involved in cardiorespiratory control, we applied crystals of DiI, a lipophilic dye which labels cells and cell processes by lateral diffusion along cell membranes, to 23 paraformaldehyde-fixed human fetal brainstems at 19 to 22 weeks postconceptional age. After 7 to 15.5 months diffusion, serial frozen sections were examined by florescence microscopy. DiI diffusion from the ARC labeled fibers and cell bodies in the medullary raphe labeled the reticular formation, medullary raphe, and the ARC. Diffusion from the pyramid and the basis pontis (negative control) labeled the corticospinal tract, with no labeling of the medullary raphe or ARC. The results suggest the existence of cellular connections between the ARC and the caudal raphe, a region implicated in cardiorespiratory control.