Inferred network

R(Retina) → MPN(Medial preoptic nucleus)
MPN(Medial preoptic nucleus) → VTA(Ventral tegmental area)
VTA(Ventral tegmental area) → PS(Parastrial nucleus)
PS(Parastrial nucleus) → LHA(Lateral hypothalamic area)

Support information about direct projections from Retina to Medial preoptic nucleus:
Sending structure Receiving structureStrength of projection Type of connectionTechniqueGeneral descriptionCollatorAssociated reference
RetinaMedial preoptic nucleus light/moderatenot knownCholera toxin conjugated to HRP
Case pg348,349, fig5a-f. Soma notes 36 female Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 200-350g. 10 microliters of CT-HRP(.20%-.40%) were injected into one eye ?behind the lens into the vitreous chamber of the eye. pressure injection over 1 min. Terminal notes Medial component of the RHT included labeled fibres and terminals found near the midline involved the medial half of the medial preoptic area terminals evident in the ventral part of the medial preoptic nucleus.
 Levine JD, Weiss ML, Rosenwasser AM, Miselis RR., 1991

Support information about direct projections from Medial preoptic nucleus to Ventral tegmental area:
Sending structure Receiving structureStrength of projection Type of connectionTechniqueGeneral descriptionCollatorAssociated reference
Medial preoptic nucleusVentral tegmental area lightnot knownHRP/WGA
Case table1. Soma notes WGA-HRP inj. Terminal notes not specified..
 Chiba T, Murata Y., 1985

Support information about direct projections from Ventral tegmental area to Parastrial nucleus:
Sending structure Receiving structureStrength of projection Type of connectionTechniqueGeneral descriptionCollatorAssociated reference
Ventral tegmental areaParastrial nucleus existsnot knownautoradiography
after excluding projections described in Simerly, Swanson, & Gorski Brain Res. 324: 185-189, 1984
 Simerly RB, Swanson LW., 1986

Support information about direct projections from Parastrial nucleus to Lateral hypothalamic area:
Sending structure Receiving structureStrength of projection Type of connectionTechniqueGeneral descriptionCollatorAssociated reference
Parastrial nucleusLateral hypothalamic area existsnot knownPHAL
light generally in perifornical region; dense in perifornical region lateral to DMH
 Thompson R.H., Swanson L.W., 2003