Reticular premotor neurons projecting to both facial and hypoglossal nuclei receive trigeminal afferents in rats

The distribution of premotor neurons projecting to motor nuclei of both the VIIth (VII) and XIIth (XII) nerves was examined in the pontomedullary reticular formation (RF) of the rat by using retrograde double labeling. After injection of two different tracers in the VII and the XII, most of the double labeled neurons were found caudally in the dorsal RF whereas rostrally they were located in the ventral RF. In some experiments, additional injections of an anterograde tracer were made in the sensory trigeminal nuclei. Anterogradely labeled trigeminal boutons were found in contact with retrogradely double labeled neurons throughout the pontomedullary RF. These neurons were mainly encountered ventral to the trigeminal motor nucleus and dorsal to the VII. Functionally, this region is known to be involved in eye protection mechanisms. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.