Cingulate gyrus of the cat receives projection fibers from the thalamic region ventral to the ventral border of the ventrobasal complex

Direct projections to the cingulate gyrus from the thalamic region lying just ventrally to the ventral border of the ventrobasal complex (VB) were found in the cat by two sets of experiments that used WGA-HRP (wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase conjugate).

In the first set of experiments, WGA-HRP was injected into the thalamic region around the ventral border of the VB. When the site of injection involved the thalamic region lying ventrally to the ventral border of the VB at the levels of the caudal two thirds of the VB. The cerebral cortex in the rostral part of the cingulate gyrus ipsilateral to the WGA-HRP injection contained fine HRP-positive granules, which indicated anterograde labeling of axon terminals. These labeled presumed axon terminals were mainly distributed to the superficial part of layer I, deep part of layer II, layer IV, and the most superficial part of layer V in the cingulate cortex.

In the second set of experiments, WGA-HRP was injected into the cerebral cortex of the rostral part of the cingulate gyrus. When the site of injection involved the region of the cingulate gyrus, where presumed axon terminals had been labeled in the first set of experiments, the thalamic region just ventral to the ventral margin of the caudal two-thirds of the VB ipsilateral to the WGA-HRP injection contained neuronal cell bodies labeled retrogradely.

The results indicate that some neurons that are located in the thalamic region just ventral to the ventral border of the caudal two-thirds of the VB send their axons to the cerebral cortex in the rostral part of the cingulate gyrus.

The possible significance of the thalamocingulate projection found in the present study is discussed with relation to nociceptive behavior and function.