THE CONNECTIONS OF THE TRIGEMINAL,FACIAL,VAGUS NERVES AND CUTANEOUS BRANCHES OF THE CERVICAL PLEXUS WITH THE SUBSTANTIA GELATINOSA OF THE RAT / 解剖学报

ABSTRACT

The peripheral nerves supplying the acupuncture points of the facial regionwere sectioned from 63 rats and their central terminations were traced by the loss ofthe acid phosphatase(ACP)activity in the substantia gelatinosa(SG)with themodified Gomori's method.1)The supraorbital nerve was cut,the loss of the ACP was confined to thelateral aspect of the substantia gelatinosa in spinal segments C_1.2)The infraorbi-tal nerve was transected,the ACP activity was absent from the central and lateralsectors of the SG in the medulla oblongata.3)The mental nerve was divided,theACP activity was absent from the most medial sector of SG in the medulla oblon-gata and C_1.4)The auriculotemporal nerve was severed,the activity of the enzymewas absent mainly in the inner medial sector of SG in the C_1 and C_2.5)Thefacial nerve was divided,the area deprived of enzyme activity is mainly found inthe central medial sector of SG in C_2.6)The vagal nerve was divided,a medialsector or central sector of SG in the C_1 and C_2 segment is devoid of ACP.7)Thegreat auricular nerve and the cutaneous cervical nerve were severed,the ACP activitywas absent in SG of the upper four cervical cords.The above results show that the primary sensory nerve of the peripheral nerveswhich supply the facial acupuncture points terminate in the SG of the subnucleuscaudalis of the trigeminal nerves and the dorsal horn and the primary sensory nervefibre of these nerves mostly terminate in C_1 and C_2 segment.