WGA-HRP was iontophoretically delivered into the habenular nuclei in 40 rats to observe the distribution of the retrograde labeled cells; and into the entopeduncular nucleus(EPN), lateral preoptic area(LPO), medial preoptic area(MPO), nucleus septalis fimbriatis(SF), nucleus triangularis septi(TS), nucleus tractus diagonalis (Broca)(DBN)and lateral hypothalamic area(LHA) in 12 rats to observe the distribution of the orthograde labeled fibers in the habenular nuclei. It was found that the afferents of various parts of the habenular nuclei were different.The lateral habenular nucleus mainly recieves the afferents from the EPN, LPO and LHA, and the medial habenular nucleus from the SF, TS and LHA. Furthermore, the lateral habenular nucleus can be divided into medial and lateral parts, the medial habenular nucleus can be divided into medial and lateral parts as well, their afferent connections are also different.

WGA-HRP was iontophoretically delivered into various parts of the habenular nuclei (the lateral segment of the lateral habenular nucleus LHb-L, the medial segment of the lateral habenular nucleus LHb-M, and the medial habenular nucleus MHb) in 40 rats to study the route and distribution of the anterograde labeled fibers and terminals in the brain. The efferent projections of the habenular nuclei follow three routes, the rostral, contralateral and caudal pathways. Along the rostral pathway fibers leave the lateral habenular nucleus, follow the stria medullaris thalami rostrally, and distribute to the thalamic dorsomedial nucleus, paratenial nucleus and lateral preoptic area. Fibers from the contralateral pathway distribute to the opposite lateral habenular nucleus by way of the commissura habenularum Fibers in the caudal pathway originate mainly from the MHb and LHb-M, and distribute to the interpeduncular nucleus with a dorsoventral topographic localization. In addition some of the caudal efferent fibers run caudally and terminate in the raphe nuclei and reticular formation etc.

The horseradish peroxidase tracing method was used to investigate the thalamostriate projections in the rat. Following the caudoputamen injections, numerous labeled neurons were present in the intralaminar nuclei of the thalamus. HRP-positive cells were found mainly in the central lateral nucleus following the injections of the medial portion of the caudoputamen, and in the paracentral nucleus following the injections of the lateral portion of the caudoputamen. Besides the intralaminar nuclei, however, considerable amount of labeled neurons were found in other tbalamic nuclei as well, including the ventral anterior, ventral lateral and ventral medial nuclei of the thalamus. In addition, a few labeled cells were also found in the dorso medial, anterior dorsal, anterior ventral, and anterior medial thalamic nuclei.

Using the HRP retrograde tracing method, the projections from the mammillary nucleus to the anterior nuclear complex of the thalamus were studied in the rat. The mamillo- thalamic projections arised from either the medial mammillary nucleus or the lateral mammillary nucleus. The efferent fibers of the lateral part of the medial mammillary nucleus projected mainly to the ipsilateral anteroventral nucleus of the thalamus. The efferent fibers from the medial part as well as the posterior part of the medial mammillary nucleus projected to the ipsilateral anteroventral and anteromedial nucleus of the thalamus. In addition, the projections from the median part of the medial mammillary nucleus to the anteromedial nucleus of the thalamus were also observed. The efferent fibers of the lateral mammillary nucleus projected bilaterally to the anterodorsal nucleus of the thalamus, but more on the ipsilateral side.

The projections of the cerebellar nuclei to the spinal cord were studied in the rat following injections of HRP into the cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral cord. Numerous HRP-positive neurons were found in the fastigial nucleus (F) and the posterior interpositus nucleus (IP) on both sides, but more on the contralateral side. In the F labelled neurons were mainly distributed in the ventrolateral and medial part of the middle portion of the nucleus, and considerable amount of labelled cells were found in the bundles of the cerebellar corticovestibular fibers as well. In the IP labelled neurons were seen only in the medial part of the nucleus. In addition, a few labelled cells were also found in the dentate nucleus (D) bilaterally. The present study suggests that the neurons of the F, IP and D project their fibers to C_4, a few fibers may extend caudally to C_8.

WGA-HRP was injected into the dorsomedial nucleus of thalamus (DM)by means of microiontophoretical delivery in 19 rats, and into the dorsal division of anterior cingulate cortex (ACd), the prelimbic area (PL), the dorsal agranular insular area (AId) of prefrontal cortex by using microinjective system in 17 rats to observe the efferent projections of the DM.It was found that the DM projected to a large part of the prefrontal cortex including the medial precentral area (PCm), ACd, PL, AId, ventral agranular insular area (AIv), medial orbital area (MO), ventral orbital area (VO), ventrolateral orbital area (VLO), and some topographical organizations were also found. The lateral segment of DM projects to the ACd, PCm, PL, AId, AIv and VLO. The intermediate segment of DM projects to the AId and AIv. The medial segment of DM projects to the AId, PL, IL, AIv, MO and VO. Furthermore, the DM also projects to some subcortical nuclei, such as the reticular nucleus of thalamus (R), the lateral preoptic area (LPO), the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA), the caudoputamen, the nucleus accumbens and the parafascicular nucleus of thalamus. In addition, some reciprocal connections between the DM and the ACd, PCm, PL, IL, AId, R, LPO and LHA were observed.

The divergent axon collaterals from neurons in locus coeruleus have been in vestigated by means of fluorescent double labeling technique in 36 rats.Different fluorescent tracers, Fast Blue, Nuclear Yellow, Propidium iodide, Bisbenzimide, Evans Blue, DAPI and Primuline were injected into the prefrontal cortex, the thalamus, the hippocampus, the cerebellum and cervical cord to observe the double retrograde labeling neurons of the locus coeruleus.Following unilateral or bilateral combined injections of two fluorescent tracers into the thalamus and cerebellum, the hippocampus and cerebellum, the hippocampus and thalamus, the larefrontal cortex and cerebellum, the prefrontal cortex and thalamus, the prefrontal cortex and cervical cord, the hippocampus and cervical cord, the cerebellum and cervical cord, double labeled cells were found in locus coeruleus, and some topographical organizations were also found.

The afferent projections of the prefrontal cortex'from the brainstem werestudied by using WGA-HRP technique in 25 rats. Following WGA-HRP injections into the dorsal part of anterior cingulate cortex, prelimbic cortex, and dorsal agranular insular cortex, three groups of retrograde labeled neurons were observed in the brainstem. First group was the monoaminergic neurons, in which the locus coeruleus, ventral tegmental area, compact part of substantia nigra, nucleus raphe dorsalis, nucleus eentralis superior, nucleus linearis caudalis widely projected to the every part of the prefrontal cortex, but the quantitative difference of the projections to different parts of the prefrontal cortex from the lateral reticular nucleus, commissural nucleus, nucleus raphe magnus, A_4, A_5, parabrachial nuclei, reticular part of substantia nigra and the nucleus linearis rostralis was also found. Second group was the nuclei related with oculomotor action, such as E-W nucleus, periventricular gray substance, reticular formation of mesencephalon and the nucleus pontis oralis. Third group was-the sensory nucleus, such as parabrachial nucleus, main sensory nucleus of the trigeminal nerve and the commissural nucleus.

The afferent projections of the prefrontal cortex(PFC) from the cerebral cortex were studied using WGA-HRP technique in 25 rats. The PFC of the rat re- cieved the afferent projections widely arising from the frontal, parietal,temporal, occipital, cingulate, piriform and retrohippocampal cortex. Furthermore,the dif- ferent organizations of the cortical afferent projections of the medial and lateral part of the PFC were also found. Besides the afferents from the somatic and visceral sensory cortex, the PFC of rat also recives afferents of visual and auditory cortex and it appears to be a multiple sensory convergence area.

Using immunohistochemical method, the distribution of eight kinds of peptidergic neurons, i. e. cholecystokinin(CCK),vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), substance P(SP), neurotensin (NT), galanin (GAL), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), corticotropin-releasing factor(CRF) and thyrotropin-releasing hormone(TRH), of the thalamus in the rat was investigated. Immunoreactive cell bodies and fiber terminals were mainly located in the midline nuclei, intralaminar nuclei, habenular nucleus and posterior nuclei of the thalamus, but a few of positive structures in the anterior nuclei, ventral nuclei and reticular nucleus were also found. The distribution of different peptidergic neurons in the thalamus was different from each other. A large quantity of SP-, NT- and GAL- like cell bodies and all of above-mentioned eight peptidergic fiber terminals were observed in the midline nuclei and intralaminar nuclei. More CCK and CGRP positive cell bodies were seen in the posterior nuclei. Some VIP, SP, NT, GAL and CRF positive cell bodies and all kinds of the positive terminals, except CGRP, were found in the habenular nucleus. The immunoreactive structures which were found in present study, particularly the distribution of positive terminals, were more widely than those were reported. The distribution of some CCK, VIP, NT, GAL, CGRP and TRH positive cell bodies and terminals in the thalamus have not been reported previously.