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Pinealocyte

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


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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is suggested that OX6-positive cells in the pineal can be considered as peripheral dendritic cells, and the results indicate that at least some of the OX 6- positive cells migrate into the gland from the circulation under these conditions.
Abstract: Cells expressing major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II (Ia) antigen have been examined during the development of rat pineals and in the pineal gland of adult rats treated with carbon tetrachloride. Cells positive for MHC class II are first detected in the pineal gland of the 7-day-old rat. These positive cells increase in number gradually during development, MHC class II immunoreactivity reaching adult levels at 4 weeks after birth. The MHC class II antigen is intensely labeled on the cell surface, and labeled cells are distributed throughout the organ, several positive cells being gathered into groups. The positive cells are small (7–12 μm in diameter), irregular in shape, and frequently exhibit one or more processes. At the electron-microscopic level, the cytoplasm of positive cells contains few organelles, variously sized empty vacuoles, and a few electron-dense lysosome-like structures. Pinealocytes with synaptic ribbons have been found adjacent to immunoreactive cells. Double-immunoperoxidase staining for MRC OX6, MRC OX42, and ED1 results in OX6−/ED1+/OX42+, OX6−/ED1−/OX42+, and OX6+/ED1−/OX42−cells. These findings suggest that OX6-positive cells in the pineal can be considered as peripheral dendritic cells. The number of cells expressing MHC class II (Ia) antigen significantly increases in the pineal gland of rats after treatment with carbon tetrachloride (P<0.005). Our results indicate that at least some of the OX6-positive cells migrate into the gland from the circulation under these conditions.

32 citations

Book ChapterDOI
01 Jan 1985
TL;DR: The results confirm that the melatonin rhythm is generated endogenously and will free-run under constant darkness with a period close to 24 h for at least 10 days, and that the rhythm can be entrained by exposure to IL:23D with the end of the light period acting as the 'melatonin-on' signal, and phase-shifts in themelatonin Rhythm can be induced by phase- Shifting in the light-dark cycle.
Abstract: In mammals, information about the environmental photoperiod is relayed from the retina to the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) in the anterior hypothalamus and via the sympathetic nervous system to the pineal gland where it influences the secretion of melatonin. Light plays a dual role: to suppress the release of melatonin and to entrain the circadian rhythm generators in the SCN, which govern the endogenous melatonin rhythm. Under normal daily light-dark cycles melatonin secretion is confined to the dark period. In most photoperiodic species the daily pattern of secretion changes in response to changes in daylength, and this acts as a physiological time cue in the brain for the control of seasonal cycles in reproduction, moulting and other processes. To illustrate the underlying mechanisms that control the melatonin rhythm, results are presented from five experiments in which the blood plasma concentrations of melatonin were measured in Soay rams exposed to a variety of artificial changes in photoperiod including a switch from 16L:8D (16 h light:8 h dark) or 8L:16D to constant darkness, a switch from constant darkness to 1L:23D and a switch from 16L:8D to a 25 h or 23 h light-dark cycle. The results confirm that the melatonin rhythm is generated endogenously and will free-run under constant darkness with a period close to 24 h for at least 10 days. The rhythm can be entrained by exposure to IL:23D with the end of the light period acting as the 'melatonin-on' signal, and phase-shifts in the melatonin rhythm can be induced by phase-shifts in the light-dark cycle. The period for which melatonin concentrations are high each day (melatonin peak) also varies in duration under the different photoperiods, as a result of both the suppressive and the entraining effects of light. Two models explaining the control of melatonin peak duration are discussed.

32 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The data suggest that mM concentrations of the pineal hormone are able to stimulate 5‐HT release from the Pinealocyte, while concentrations of melatonin increase extracellular 5‐ HT by inhibiting its reuptake in the adrenergic nerve endings.
Abstract: Melatonin has been proposed to exert some regulatory actions within the pineal gland itself. The present study examined the effect of melatonin on the release of serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) from rat pineal glands by using an in vitro perifusion system. Melatonin induced a concentration-dependent stimulatory effect on 5-HT secretion from 10(-6) M to 10(-3) M. Maximal effects were obtained with melatonin 10(-3) M and concentrations lower than 10(-6) M were without effect. The secretion of 5-HIAA was inhibited by melatonin 10(-3) and 10(-4) M, but it was increased when pineals were incubated with 10(-5) and 10(-6) M of melatonin. The indoleamine secretion was also studied on peripherally denervated rat pineal glands. Basal output of 5-HT from these glands was increased when compared with those from control rats. In contrast, the secretion of 5-HIAA was strongly reduced after removal of the sympathetic input to the pineal gland. Melatonin 10(-3) M failed to stimulate 5-HT release from denervated pineal glands, although it inhibited 5-HIAA secretion. In contrast, melatonin 10(-5) M enhanced 5-HT release without altering 5-HIAA output. Fluoxetine, a 5-HT uptake inhibitor, produced similar effects than mM concentrations of melatonin on the indoleamine secretion from control pineal glands, but it had no effect on glands taken from peripherally denervated rats. These data suggest that mM concentrations of the pineal hormone are able to stimulate 5-HT release from the pinealocyte, while mM concentrations of melatonin increase extracellular 5-HT by inhibiting its reuptake in the adrenergic nerve endings. These findings are discussed in relation to the possible role of melatonin regulating the intra- and extracellular availability of 5-HT in the pineal gland and its significance as an autocrine factor.

31 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) as well as pregnant mare serum gonadotropic hormone (PMSG) caused a marked activation of pinealocytes, characterised by a conspicuous proliferation of the granular endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus and an increase in number of dense core vesicles, mitochondria, dense bodies, subsurface cisternae and ves Balls.
Abstract: The influence of gonadotropic hormones on the ultrastructure of rat pinealocytes was studied. Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) as well as pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) caused a marked activation of pinealocytes. It is characterised by a conspicuous proliferation of the granular endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus as well as an increase in number of dense core vesicles, mitochondria, dense bodies, subsurface cisternae and vesicles in the terminal buds of pinealocyte processes. The changes after HCG administration were more pronounced than after PMSG.

31 citations

Journal Article
TL;DR: Intacellular and extracellular mineralization foci in the superficial pineal gland of the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) have been described and it has been suggested that the reason for a rise in intracellular calcium levels could be the incapacity of Ca2+-ATPase to eliminate this cation from the cell, so that the hypercalcemic intrACEllular milieu becomes favourable for the initial crystallization.
Abstract: On the basis of conventional transmission electron microscopy and ultracytochemical reactions for demonstration of calcium, for glucose-6-phosphatase, and for Ca2+-ATPase, intracellular and extracellular mineralization foci in the superficial pineal gland of the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) have been described. The initial intracellular calcification sites occur in the cytoplasmic matrix, vacuoles, mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum of large clear pinealocytes. These loci, and particularly those within the cytoplasmic matrix, transform into acervuli by a further addition of hydroxyapatite crystals. The cells gradually degenerate, die, break down, and the acervuli reach the extracellular space. It has been suggested that the reason for a rise in intracellular calcium levels could be the incapacity of Ca2+-ATPase to eliminate this cation from the cell, so that the hypercalcemic intracellular milieu becomes favourable for the initial crystallization. The primary extracellular mineralization sites occur in the calcium-rich flocculent material. The mineralization process in the gerbil pineal gland is interpreted as a histophysiological phenomenon intimately related to the metabolic activity of the pineal gland.

31 citations


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Performance
Metrics
No. of papers in the topic in previous years
YearPapers
202310
202219
202116
202011
201915
201817