Hypothalamo-spinal projections in the golden hamster.

ABSTRACT

The distribution of hypothalamic projections to the spinal cord in hamsters was determined using the retrograde tracers horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and wheat germ agglutinin-HRP (WGA-HRP). Large injections of HRP or WGA-HRP were made into the thoracic spinal cord of adult male golden hamsters. HRP-labeled neurons were observed primarily in the parvocellular division of the paraventricular nucleus and in the lateral hypothalamus. The organization of hypothalamo-spinal connections appears to be highly conserved in mammalian species.