Arginine vasotocin mRNA revealed by in situ hybridization in bovine pineal gland cells

Badiu, Corin; Coculescu, Mihail; Møller, Mette

doi:10.1007/s004410051228

Cited by 16 publications

References 32 publications

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Cellular lining of the sheep pineal recess studied by light‐, transmission‐, and scanning electron microscopy: Morphologic indications for a direct secretion of melatonin from the pineal gland to the cerebrospinal fluid

Tricoire

Malpaux

Møller

2002

J of Comparative Neurology

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In the sheep, the pineal hormone melatonin displays nocturnal levels 20 times as high in the cerebrospinal fluid of the third ventricle as in the jugular blood. Moreover, in the pineal recess, the evagination of the third ventricle into the pineal stalk, the levels of melatonin in the cerebrospinal fluid are even higher than in the ventral part of the third ventricle. This finding suggests melatonin to be secreted directly from the pineal gland to the ventricular lumen of the pineal recess of this species. We have, therefore, studied the interface between the sheep pineal gland and the cerebrospinal fluid by light-, scanning-, and electron microscopy of the pineal recess, as well as the permeability of the interface by tracer injections into the third ventricle. First, we show that the classic ependymal lining of the third ventricle disappears in the superior part of the recess. In this area, bulging pinealocytes, displaying immunoreactivity for serotonin, directly appose the cerebrospinal fluid. This pineal-cerebrospinal fluid interface of the sheep is large compared with other species, especially rodent species. Intraventricular injections of horseradish peroxidase and fluorescein isothiocyanate showed that both these tracers could permeate from the pineal recess into the sheep pineal parenchyma. This permeation was due to the presence of gap and intermediate junctions connecting the pinealocytes apposing the ventricular lumen. Thus, our results show that endocrine cells in this specialized area of the ventricular system are in direct contact with the cerebrospinal fluid. This finding supports the physiological concept of a direct secretion of melatonin into the cerebrospinal fluid of the sheep pineal recess.

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Cellular lining of the sheep pineal recess studied by light‐, transmission‐, and scanning electron microscopy: Morphologic indications for a direct secretion of melatonin from the pineal gland to the cerebrospinal fluid

Tricoire

Malpaux

Møller

2002

J of Comparative Neurology

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The anatomy and innervation of the mammalian pineal gland

2002

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The parenchymal cells of the mammalian pineal gland are the hormone-producing pinealocytes and the interstitial cells. In addition, perivascular phagocytes are present. The phagocytes share antigenic properties with microglial and antigen-presenting cells. In certain species, the pineal gland also contains neurons and/or neuron-like peptidergic cells. The peptidergic cells might influence the pinealocyte by a paracrine secretion of the peptide. Nerve fibers innervating the mammalian pineal gland originate from perikarya located in the sympathetic superior cervical ganglion and the parasympathetic sphenopalatine and otic ganglia. The sympathetic nerve fibers contain norepinephrine and neuropeptide Y as neurotransmitters. The parasympathetic nerve fibers contain vasoactive intestinal peptide and peptide histidine isoleucine. Recently, neurons in the trigeminal ganglion, containing substance P, calcitonin gene-related peptide, and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide, have been shown to project to the mammalian pineal gland. Finally, nerve fibers originating from perikarya located in the brain containing, for example, GABA, orexin, serotonin, histamine, oxytocin, and vasopressin innervate the pineal gland directly via the pineal stalk. Biochemical studies have demonstrated numerous receptors on the pinealocyte cell membrane, which are able to bind the neurotransmitters located in the pinealopetal nerve fibers. These findings indicate that the mammalian pinealocyte can be influenced by a plethora of neurotransmitters.

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Developmental and Diurnal Expression of the Synaptosomal-Associated Protein 25 (Snap25) in the Rat Pineal Gland

et al. 2012

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Snap25 (synaptosomal-associated protein) is a 25 kDa protein, belonging to the SNARE-family (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors) of proteins, essential for synaptic and secretory vesicle exocytosis. Snap25 has by immunohistochemistry been demonstrated in the rat pineal gland but the biological importance of this is unknown. In this study, we demonstrate a high expression of mRNA encoding Snap25 in all parts of the rat pineal complex, the superficial-, and deep-pineal gland, as well as in the pineal stalk. Snap25 showed a low pineal expression during embryonic stages with a strong increase in expression levels just after birth. The expression showed no day/night variations. Neither removal of the sympathetic input to the pineal gland by superior cervical ganglionectomy nor bilateral decentralization of the superior cervical ganglia significantly affected the expression of Snap25 in the gland. The pineal expression levels of Snap25 were not changed following intraperitoneal injection of isoproterenol. The strong expression of Snap25 in the pineal gland suggests the presence of secretory granules and microvesicles in the rat pinealocyte supporting the concept of a vesicular release. At the transcriptional level, this Snap25-based release mechanism does not exhibit any diurnal rhythmicity and is regulated independently of the sympathetic nervous input to the gland.

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Arginine vasotocin mRNA revealed by in situ hybridization in bovine pineal gland cells

Cited by 16 publications

References 32 publications

Cellular lining of the sheep pineal recess studied by light‐, transmission‐, and scanning electron microscopy: Morphologic indications for a direct secretion of melatonin from the pineal gland to the cerebrospinal fluid

Cellular lining of the sheep pineal recess studied by light‐, transmission‐, and scanning electron microscopy: Morphologic indications for a direct secretion of melatonin from the pineal gland to the cerebrospinal fluid

The anatomy and innervation of the mammalian pineal gland

Developmental and Diurnal Expression of the Synaptosomal-Associated Protein 25 (Snap25) in the Rat Pineal Gland

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