Distribution of facial motoneurons innervating the common facial muscles of the rabbit and rat

The distribution of the facial neurons that innervate several facial muscles was determined in the rabbit and the rat by examining the retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The target muscles were musculus levator nasolabialis, m. levator labii superioris, m. zygomaticus, and m. buccinator pars buccalis, as well as m. parietoauricularis and m. depressor anguli oris in the rabbit and m. levator auricularis posterioris in the rat. Localization of the retrogradely labeled neurons within the ipsilateral facial nucleus was confirmed for all facial muscles examined. Our results showed that m. levator nasolabialis was innervated by neurons located in the dorsal subnucleus, while the motoneurons innervating m. buccinator pars buccalis were distributed within the dorsal part of the intermediate subnucleus of the facial nucleus in the both species. Localization of the labeled motoneurons innervating m. zygomaticus and m. levator labii superioris showed the difference in the distribution within the facial nucleus among the species. Neurons innervating m. parietoauricularis and m. levator auricularis posterioris were localized in somewhat different subregions of the medial subnucleus in these species. M. depressor anguli oris was innervated by the neurons distributed within the intermediate subnucleus of the facial nucleus in the rabbit. Thus, our findings revealed that there is species-specific motor innervation pattern in rabbits and rats, despite several movement of the face is supplied by the homologous facial muscles.