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Contribution of Commissural Projections to Bulbospinal Activation of Locomotion in the In Vitro Neonatal Rat Spinal Cord

Department of Physiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Submitted 13 November 2008; accepted in final form 22 December 2008

Abstract

Commissural projections are required for left-right coordination during locomotion. However, their role, if any, in rhythm production is unknown. This study uses the neonatal rat in vitro brain stem–spinal cord model to examine the rostrocaudal distribution of locomotor-related commissural projections and study whether commissural connections are needed for the generation of hindlimb rhythmic activity in response to electrical stimulation of the brain stem. Midsagittal lesions were made at a wide range of rostrocaudal levels. Locomotor-like activity persisted in some preparations despite midsagittal lesions extending from C₁ to the mid-L₁ level or from the conus medullaris to the T_12/13 junction. In some preparations, midsagittal lesions throughout the entire spinal cord had no effect on locomotor-like activity if two or three contiguous segments remained intact. Those bridging segments had to include the T₁₃ and/or L₁ levels. These observations suggested that commissural projections in the thoracolumbar junction region were critical. However, locomotor-like activity was also elicited in preparations with limited midsagittal lesions focused on the thoracolumbar junction (T₁₂ through L₁ or L₂ inclusive). In other experiments, locomotor-like activity was evoked by bath-applied 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA). Appropriate side-to-side coordination was observed, even when only one segment remained bilaterally intact. Commissural projections traversing the thoracolumbar junction region were most effective. In combination, these results suggest that locomotor-related commissural projections are redundantly distributed along a bi-directional gradient that centers on the thoracolumbar junction. This commissural system not only provides a robust left-right coordinating mechanism but also supports locomotor rhythm generation in response to brain stem stimulation.