Cerebral Structures Responsible for the Formation of Autonomic Reflexes Related to Realization of Motivated Operant Movements by Rats

We studied changes in the levels of Fos immunoreactivity and NADPH diaphorase reactivity in the autonomic nuclei and catecholaminergic (CA) groups of brainstem cells in rats that realized food-procuring movements by the forelimb. Fos-immunoreactivity in the medullary nuclei of the autonomic nervous system, ANS (Sol, IRt, CVL/RVL), of these animals was appreciably higher than that in control rats. Under such conditions, a considerable part of motoneurons in the brainstem autonomic motor nuclei (10, Amb, and RAmb) were activated. In the motor nuclei of the vagus nerve, large Fos-immunoreactive (Fos-ir) neurons were observed. In rats, therefore, intense autonomic reactions closely related to realization of a motor program develop during sessions of operant food-procuring movements. The expression of protein c-Fos in brainstem CA neurons during the performance of operant movements was intensified, mostly on the contralateral side. In the brainstem CA groups А5 and А6 (LC/SC), we observed a maximum number of Fos-ir neurons, as compared with the control values. These cell groups are formed mostly of noradrenergic neurons that are the main sources of descending inhibitory inputs to the spinal thorasic and lumbar intermediolateral sympathetic nuclei. Therefore, the ANS can directly influence the functioning of muscle spindles and proprioceptors and can, as a result, influence the realization of motor program.

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