Pinealocyte

About: Pinealocyte is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1605 publications have been published within this topic receiving 55609 citations.

Histophysiological evidence for the secretion of polypeptides by the pineal gland

Abstract: Histophysiological examinations of the bovine and monkey pineal gland indicate that this organ may be involved in the secretion of polypeptides. Using various histochemical procedures designed to identify peptide-secreting cells, granules and/or droplets of presumptive secretory product were identified within cellular processes, within the walls of blood vessels and associated with multilayered corpuscles (corpora arenacea). In bovine pineal tissue, the stained material was found most often in what appeared to be pinealocyte processes, as perivascular granules and associated with multilayered corpuscles. In the monkey pineal the stainable material was more distinct; this was probably due to the earlier fixation of the glands after death of the animals. In this species, the presumptive secretory material was found in nerve fibers, occasionally in glial cell and pinealocyte processes and within and around the walls of capillaries. In nerve fibers, the stained material sometimes resembled Herring bodies of the posterior pituitary gland. Similar material appeared to be located in capillary endothelial cells and within multilayered corpuscles. In pineal tissue of both species, calcium was detectable histochemically within multilayered corpuscles. Although tinctorially different, the presumptive neurosecretory material was similar to that found in the posterior pituitary gland. As a working hypothesis, we propose that polypeptides may be released from cells in conjunction with a carrier protein and that the mechanism of secretion of the polypeptide into the vascular system may involve its exchange for calcium. The calcium is then theoretically deposited in the multilayered corpuscles.

Structural and ultrastructural characteristics of human pineal gland, and pineal parenchymal tumors

Abstract: We have studied 20 pineal parenchymal tumors (PPT) and 4 normal or cystic pineal glands both by light and electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry with antibodies against glial markers [glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and protein S-100] or neural/neuroendocrine markers [neurofilaments (NF), synaptophysin and chromogranin A]. Light microscopy revealed the cellular organization of pinealocytes in the normal gland and in different morphological types of pineal tumors (typical pineocytomas, PPT with intermediate differentiation, mixed PPT exhibiting elements of both pineocytoma and pineoblastoma and pineoblastomas). Immunohistochemistry showed the presence of GFAP and protein S-100 in interstitial cells in nonneoplastic pineal gland. Cell processes were labeled with anti-synaptophysin and anti-NF antibodies. No immunoreactivity was found for chromogranin A in non-neoplastic pineal gland. In pineocytomas, GFAP and protein S-100 were observed in interstitial cells. Synaptophysin and NF were present in the large rosettes of pineocytomas. Synaptophysin, NF and chromogranin A were present in pineocytomas with a lobular arrangement of cells. Anti-chromogranin A immuno-reactivity was also seen in lobular areas of some PPT with intermediate differentiation. Analysis of normal human pineal gland by electron microscopy showed the presence of vesicle-crowned rodlets (VCR or synaptic ribbons), fibrous filaments (F), paired twisted filaments but few dense-core vesicles (DCV) in normal pinealocytes. Tumoral pineal cells appeared to differentiate either towards a neurosensory pathway characterized by the presence of sensory cells elements (VCR and F), or towards a neuroendocrine pathway, with the occurrence of many DCV. Immunogold labeling demonstrated the presence of chromogranin A in neurosecretory granules.

Interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein in retinal rod cells and pineal gland.

Abstract: Immunoelectron microscopic staining demonstrates Interphotoreceptor Retinoid-Binding Protein (IRBP) in monkey rod cell cytoplasm with virtually none in cone cells. The pineal also contains significant amounts of IRBP demonstrating a similarity of pinealocytes to rod but not cone photoreceptors.