The motoneurones with axons in the common peroneal nerve (CPN) of the rat and monkey were examined using retrograde labelling with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). In both species, the CPN motoneurone pool was localized in the dorsolateral part of the ventral horn of the spinal cord. In the rat, the labelled motoneurones were located between the L3 and L6 spinal segments whereas in the monkey, they extended from the caudal end of L4 to the L6 spinal segments. In both species the majority of the labelled neurones were located within the L5 segment. The mean number of the CPN motoneurones in the rat and monkey was 458 and 1148, respectively. A bimodal size distribution of motoneurones was found in both species.
The spinal nucleus of the accessory nerve (SNA) comprises the group of somata (perikarya) of motor neurons that supply the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles. There are many conflicting views regarding the longitudinal extent and topography of the SNA, even in the same species, and these disagreements prompted the present investigation. Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats (15 males, 15 females) were used. The SNA was localized by retrograde axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase. Longitudinally, the SNA was found to be located in the caudal part (caudal 0.9-1.2 mm) of the medulla oblongata, the whole lengths of cervical spinal cord segments C1, C2, C3, C4, C5 and rostral fourth of C6. In the caudal part of the medulla oblongata, the SNA was represented by a group of perikarya of motor neurons lying immediately ventrolateral to the pyramidal fibres that were passing dorsolaterally after their decussation. In the spinal cord, the motor neuronal somata of the SNA were located in the dorsomedial and central columns at C1, in the dorsomedial, central and ventrolateral columns at C2 and in the ventrolateral column only at C3, C4, C5 and rostral quarter of C6. The perikarya of motor neurons supplying the sternocleidomastoid were located in the caudal part (caudal 0.9-1.2 mm) of the medulla oblongata ventrolateral to the pyramidal fibres that were passing dorsolaterally after their decussation. They were also located in the dorsomedial and central columns at C1, in the dorsomedial, central and ventrolateral columns at C2 and only in the ventrolateral column at the rostral three-quarters of C3. The perikarya of motor neurons supplying the trapezius muscle were located in the ventrolateral column only in the caudal three-quarters of C2, the whole lengths of C3, C4 and C5, and in the rostral quarter of C6.
A nitrocellulose membrane strip dotted with a specific 50 kDa outer membrane protein of Salmonella typhi was applied for the serodiagnosis of typhoid fever. Using horseradish peroxidase conjugated IgM and IgG antibodies with 4-chloronaphthol as substrate, antibodies in typhoid patients were clearly visualised as bluish purple dots while sera from patients with non-typhoid fevers gave negative results. The detection of specific IgM and IgG antibodies in typhoid patients suggest either recent or current infection. Combined with the high specificity, reliability and rapidity of the test, the dot EIA technique provides a simple and useful method for the serodiagnosis of typhoid using a single serum specimen.