An anatomical atlas of the medulla oblongata of the adult goat.
Dean, C., L. K. Geiger, B. M. Sprtel, P. J. Ohtake and H. V. Forster.
1Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701
Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee WI 53226 and 2Department of
Anesthesiology, Medical College of Wisconsin and Department of
Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI 53295.
APStracts 6:0249A, 1999.
An anatomic atlas of the goat brainstem was developed for use in
studies analyzing medullary neuronal groups and factors influencing
variability in the location of neuronal groups were determined. The
medullae of 31 adult goats weighing 17 to 88 kg were fixed,
harvested, frozen, serially sectioned, stained with 0.5% neutral red,
and examined light microscopically. Obex, the point at which the
central canal opens into the fourth ventricle, was taken as the zero
reference point from which the rostrocaudal and mediolateral
coordinates of medullary neuronal groups were determined, while
dorsoventral coordinates were calculated from the medullary surface.
Histological variations with goat body weight were quantified and
linear regression analysis provided adjustment factors for weight in
all three dimensions. Similar analysis of percent shrinkage on
fixation/processing provided adjustment factors for precise
coordinates of medullary neuronal groups. For accurate location of
neuronal groups body weight and histological procedure should be
taken into account. The present study provided adjustment factors for
body weight and standard histological processing to locate most major
medullary neuronal groups in the adult goat.
Received 21 September 1998; accepted in final form 21 May 1999.
APS Manuscript Number A835-8.
Article publication pending Journal of Applied Physiology.
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1999 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 14 June 1999