The efferent projections of the subfornical organ of the rat: a circumventricular organ within a neural network subserving water balance.

The efferent projections of the subfornical organ (SFO) of rats were traced using the autoradiographic method of following anterograde transport of labelled proteins through axons. The efferents of the SFO go to two different areas. The first is the anteroventral third ventricular area of the preoptic region and the second is the hypothalamus particularly the neurosecretory, magnocellular nuclei. Specifically, the apparent terminal fields in the first area are in the nucleus medianus of the medial preoptic area (NM), the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis (OVLT), and the anterior periventricular area (PeV). Many efferent fibers to this area emerge from the rostral SFO, pass anteriorly over the anterior commissure in the midline and either descend along the anterior border of the NM or enter the PeV dorsally just beneath the anterior commissure. The apparent terminal fields within the hypothalamus are in the anterior and tuberal supraoptic nuclei (SONa and SONt), the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) including its rostral accessory cluster, the nucleus circularis (NC), the dorsal perifornical area (PFd), and in both the lateral preoptic area and lateral hypothalamus adjacent to the SON. Many efferent fibers to the hypothalamus emerge from the rostral SFO and enter the columns of the fornix, diverge with the ventral stria medullari to disperse medially and laterally over the columns of the fornix and along their dorsal border at the anterior dorsal level of the columns trajectory through the hypothalamus. These findings are discussed in terms of the SFO's role within a neural network mediating water balance behaviorally and physiologically.