Elsevier

Brain Research

Volume 124, Issue 2, 25 March 1977, Pages 197-224
Brain Research

Efferent connections of the hippocampal formation in the rat

https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-8993(77)90880-0Get rights and content

Abstract

In this investigation the projections of the hippocampal formation to the septal area and hypothalamus were studied in the rat with the combined use of3H-amino acid radioautography and horseradish peroxidase histochemistry.

The results indicate that all of the fibers which project to the hypothalamus and the majority of fibers which project to the septum arise from the subicular cortex and not from hippocampal pyramidal cells. The projection to both of these areas are topographically organized along the longitudinal axis of the hippocaapal formation. Specifically, fibers from subicular cortical cells situated at the septal end of the hippocampal formation which project through the medial part of the dorsal fornix terminate in the dorsomedial quadrant of the lateral septal nucleus and in the dorsal portion of the pars posterior of the medial mammillary nucleus. Fibers from progressively more posteroventral levels of the hippocampal formation which project through more lateral portions of the dorsal fornix and fimbria terminate in progressively more lateral and ventral quadrants of the lateral septal nucleus and in progressively more ventral portions of the pars posterior.

Concerning the specific origin of the fornix system, fibers from only the prosubiculum and subiculum project through both the pre- and postcommissural fornix. Hippocampal pyramidal cells from all CA fields have a restricted projection through the precommissural fornix and terminate in the caudal half of the septum while the presubiculum projects solely through the postcommissural fornix.

Reference (47)

  • AndersonC.H. et al.

    Autoradiographic analysis of estradiol uptake in the brain and pituitary of the female rat

    Endocrinology

    (1969)
  • AndersonP. et al.

    Organization of the hippocampal output

    Exp. Brain Res.

    (1973)
  • BrodmannK.

    Vergleichende Lokalisationslehre der Grobhirnrinde

    (1909)
  • Ca´jalS. et al.

    Histologie du Systeme Nerveux de l'Homme et des Vertebres

    (1911)
  • DeFranceJ.F. et al.

    Electrophysiological analysis of the hippocampal-septal projections: 1. Response and topographical characteristics

    Exp. Brain Res.

    (1973)
  • EdingerL. et al.

    Untersuchungen ueber den Fornix und des Corpus mamillare

    Arch. Psychiat. Nervenkr.

    (1902)
  • EndrocziE. et al.

    The inhibitory Influence of archicortical structures on pituitary and adrenal function

    Acta physiol. Acad. Sci. Hung.

    (1959)
  • GuddenB. von

    Beitrag zur Kenntniss des Corpus mamillare und der sogenannten Schenkel des Fornix

    Arch. Psychiat. Nervenkr.

    (1881)
  • GuilleryR.W.

    A quantitative study of the mammillary bodies and their connexions

    J. Anat. (Lond.)

    (1955)
  • GuilleryR.W.

    Degeneration in the post-commissural fornix and the mammillary peduncle of the rat

    J. Anat. (Lond.)

    (1956)
  • GurdjianE.S.

    The diencephalon of the albino rat

    J. comp. Neurol.

    (1927)
  • HoneggerJ.

    Comparative anatomical studies of the fornix and its relation to the conduction system in the human and mammalian brain

    Rec. Zool. Suisse

    (1892)
  • HughesK.R.

    Dorsal and ventral hippocampal lesions and maze learning: influence on preoperative environment

    Canad. J. Psychol.

    (1965)
  • Cited by (375)

    • High ethanol preference and dissociated memory are co-occurring phenotypes associated with hippocampal GABA<inf>A</inf>R-δ receptor levels

      2021, Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
      Citation Excerpt :

      Here, we describe an additional long-range projection to a reward processing region, to SUM via SUB. As the major output of the hippocampal formation (O'Mara, Commins, Anderson, & Gigg, 2001) SUB projects directly to the diencephalon, with MB receiving especially dense inputs (Meibach & Siegel, 1977; Swanson & Cowan, 1977). We show that some of these efferents terminate in SUM (or branch from MB), albeit much more sparsely.

    • Ketamine: Leading us into the future for development of antidepressants

      2020, Behavioural Brain Research
      Citation Excerpt :

      Although preclinical studies have consistently provided a basis for the molecular mechanisms of action of ketamine as discussed above, less has been done with respect to the brain circuits in which such effects occur. Ventral regions of the hippocampus are connected to the limbic system with afferents to key regions including the prefrontal cortex [80,81], nucleus accumbens [82–84], hypothalamus [85] and indirectly to the midbrain dopamine system [86]. Furthermore, the hippocampus has been extensively implicated in the actions of stress, depression, and antidepressant actions and represents a site of convergence whereby the effects of stress and antidepressant drugs may act to regulate HPA axis function and mood via connections with the hypothalamus and limbic forebrain, respectively [87].

    View all citing articles on Scopus

    A preliminary report on this subject was presented at the Society for Neuroscience Meetings, November, 1975, and at the American Association of Anatomists Meeting, April, 1976

    **

    present address: Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, N.Y. 10461 (U.S.A.).

    View full text