The aged rat pineal gland as revealed in SEM and TEM

Allen, Delmas J.; Didio, L. J. A.; Gentry, Ellen R.; Ohtani, Osamu

doi:10.1007/bf02431274

Cited by 20 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Earlier data concerning the function of the pineal of old animals are rare and sometimes contradictory [for review see 44], How ever, in the last few years a number of studies have investi gated changes in morphology and biochemistry of the pi neal gland of older animals. Degenerative changes are de scribed to appear in rat pineals of old age [2,18]. Noted were calcareous concretions ('brain sand') which are thought to be relics of degenerating cell groups, as well as connective tissue, striated muscles and myelin-like figures, which were found to be present in increased numbers.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Electrophysiological and Endocrinological Aspects of Aging in the Rat Pineal Gland

Reuss¹,

Olcese²,

Vollrath³

1986

Neuroendocrinology

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Previous morphological and biochemical studies point to an age-dependent loss of pineal gland function. In order to investigate the possible alterations of electrical activity of aged rat pineal glands, electrophysiological recordings in 3- and 18-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were undertaken at both daytime and nighttime. Extracellularly recorded action potentials were characterized according to discharge frequency and serum melatonin levels were determined concomitantly. Significant differences in the frequency distributions between young adult and old rats were found to occur at nighttime, with a shift towards lower frequencies in old animals. Serum melatonin levels were reduced significantly in old rats and the characteristic nocturnal peak was attenuated. These results demonstrate a distinct decrease of pineal electrical and secretory activity with advancing age, which may contribute to an age-dependent decline of neuroendocrine capacity.

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Electrophysiological and Endocrinological Aspects of Aging in the Rat Pineal Gland

Reuss¹,

Olcese²,

Vollrath³

1986

Neuroendocrinology

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“…As for electron dense particles in murine pinealo cytes, they are known as calcified material. Similar vesicu lar electron dense concretions in rats contain considerably more osmiophilic material than in mice [6,14,15]. Taking into account the observed increase in the number of vesi cles with osmiophilic inclusions occurring at the new moon (and at the background of hyperplasia of dic tyosomes and an expanding area of the Golgi complex), one can speculate that the vesicles carrying dense inclu sions are formed owing to the Golgi complex of pinealo cytes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Pineal gland as an endocrine gravitational lunasensor: Manifestation of moon-phase dependent morphological changes in mice

Герасимов

Kostyuchenko

Solovieva

et al. 2014

Biochemistry Moscow

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We found that some morphological properties of the pineal gland and submandibular salivary gland of mice are significantly distinct at the new and full moon. We suppose that the differences are initiated by the displacements of the electron-dense concretions in the secretory vesicles of pinealocytes. This presumably occurs under the influence of the gravitational field, which periodically changes during different phases of the moon. It seems that the pinealocyte is both an endocrine and gravisensory cell. A periodic secretion of the pineal gland probably stimulates, in a lunaphasic mode, the neuroendocrine system that, in turn, periodically exerts influence on different organs of the body. The observed effect probably serves, within the lifelong clock of a brain, to control development and aging in time.

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“…To date, toxicological pathologists have rarely observed the pineal gland tissue of experimental animals, especially in ordinary toxicological or carcinogenicity studies. Some previous reports revealed spontaneous histological changes associated with aging of the pineal glands in rats 7 , 8 , 9 . However, there are no reports comparing the incidences of histological changes in the pineal glands of rats of either sex over a wide age range.…”

mentioning

confidence: 85%

“…Fibrosis in the pineal gland of rats was reported to be an age-associated alteration 7 , 9 . Wegiel et al revealed that the fibrosis in the pineal glands occurred only sporadically, at an incidence of 1.1 percent 7 .…”

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confidence: 99%

Age-related Histological Findings in the Pineal Gland of Crl:CD(SD) Rats

et al. 2012

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To provide background data as the pathologic basis, the pineal glands of 190 male and 193 female Crl:CD(SD) rats at ages of 0–7, 51–58, 70–85 and 111 weeks were examined histologically in this study. Mineralization and fibrosis were common findings in the aged rats, whereas they were rarely found in the young ones; mineralization was present in 7, 44, 67 and 79% of males and in 0, 32, 67 and 79% in females, and fibrosis was present in 0, 29, 48 and 44% of males and 0, 18, 40 and 35% of females at ages of 0–7, 51–58, 70–85 and 111 weeks, respectively. Striated muscle fiber appeared regularly in the fibrosis region from 51–58 weeks of age when fibrosis increased, while the origin of this fiber remained unclear. Vacuolation of pineal cells also increased with age in both sexes, though the total incidence was low. There was a low incidence of lymphocytic infiltration in both sexes, but this was not related to age.

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The aged rat pineal gland as revealed in SEM and TEM

Cited by 20 publications

References 16 publications

Electrophysiological and Endocrinological Aspects of Aging in the Rat Pineal Gland

Electrophysiological and Endocrinological Aspects of Aging in the Rat Pineal Gland

Pineal gland as an endocrine gravitational lunasensor: Manifestation of moon-phase dependent morphological changes in mice

Age-related Histological Findings in the Pineal Gland of Crl:CD(SD) Rats

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