LOCALIZATION OF THE CELL BODIES OF THE PHRENIC MOTOR AND SENSORY NEURONES IN RABBIT BY HRP METHOD / 解剖学报

ABSTRACT

Eight rabbits were used in this study.The position of the phrenic nucleus in thespinal cord,the morphology of the phrenic motoneurones and position of the cellbodies of the sensory neurons of the phrenic nerve were determined by using themethod of HRP labelling through the centralcutting end of the left phrenic nerve atthe root of the neck.The results were as follows1.The phrenic nucleus in the rabbit was located in C_3,C_4,and C_5 segments.Itis a longitudinal cell column lying between the ventromedial and the ventrolateralcolumns of the ventral horn of the spinal cord.2.Phrenic motoneurones differed in shape and size.Most of the cell bodies ofthe rabbit's phrenic motoneurones were round or oval in shape,ranging from 5 to45 ?m(mean 25 ?m)in diameter.3.The rabbit phrenic nerve arises from the ventral rami of the 3 rd,4 th and5 th cervical nerves,and the nucleus of this nerve does not extend beyond the 3 rd-5 th segments——the location of the nucleus corresponds with the segmental rootsfrom which the phrenic nerve arises.4.The cell bodies of the sensory neurones of the rabbit's phrenic nerve werelocated in the dorsal root ganglia of the third and fourth cervical nerves.Besides,50 rabbits were dissected,and the origin of their phrenic nerves werestudied.