Introduction The relationship between the moon's cycles and menses is so fundamental that the two phenomena are reiated linguistically. The terms 'moon' and 'menstruation' share the same Latin or Greek root, m-, meaning 'to measure,' Various world religions and cuitures have acknowledged the bond between women and the moon. Traditional Chinese Medicine links the moon with the feminine, or yin p...

Solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) rarely occur in the central nervous system (CNS). Involvement of the brainstem and pineal gland is rarely recorded. Herein, we represent 2 cases of SFTs and firstly report SFT of the pineal gland. Cranial MR imaging showed isointense to hypointense signal intensity, and marked enhancement. Microscopically, the tumors showed characteristic “patternless-pattern” arc...

The mRNAs encoding three enzymes of the melatonin synthesis pathway (tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH), arylalkylamine-N-acetyltransferase (AANAT) and hydroxyindole-O-methyl-transferase (HIOMT)) are expressed with a day/night rhythm in the chicken pineal gland and retina. TPH and AANAT mRNA levels reach their peak at night. HIOMT mRNA levels peak at night in the retina, but during the day in the pin...

A study was carried out to determine possible effects of 60-Hz electromagnetic-field exposure on pineal gland function in humans. Overnight excretion of urinary 6-hydroxymelatonin sulfate (6-OHMS), a stable urinary metabolite of the pineal hormone melatonin, was used to assess pineal gland function in 42 volunteers who used standard (conventional) or modified continuous polymer wire (CPW) elect...

The presence of true neurons in the rodent pineal gland is still a matter of controversy. In this work, by using immunohistochemistry with five antibodies against calcium-binding proteins (calbindin-D28k, calretinin, calmodulin, neurocalcin and S-100 beta) and Cricetomys gambianus, a rodent belonging to Muridae family living in Africa, we were able to illustrate the presence of neurons in the p...

Fos-related antigen 2 (Fra-2) is a member of the Fos family of immediate-early genes, most of which are rapidly induced by second messengers. All members of this family act by binding to AP-1 sites as heterodimeric complexes with other proteins. However, each appears to have a distinct role. The role and biology of Fra-2 are less well understood than those of its relatives c-Fos, Fra-1, and Fos...

A wide variety of biochemical, physiological, and molecular processes are known to have daily rhythms driven by an endogenous circadian clock. While extensive research has greatly improved our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that constitute the circadian clock, the links between this clock and dependent processes have remained elusive. To address this gap in our knowledge, we have use...

The pineal gland is known to play a central role in the photoperiodic control of reproduction in seasonal breeders. The present review, based on experimental data obtained in four different species of hamster, the Syrian or golden, the Djungarian or Siberian, the Turkish and the European, attempts to evaluate the role of the pineal in this phenomenon, the message which is conveyed from this gla...

The aim of this study was an analysis of the relationship between pineal hormone melatonin level and long-term occupational exposure to elemental mercury vapour (Hg) of ex-mercury miners. Melatonin (MEL) is a hormonal product of the pineal gland. Hg accumulation in the pineal gland in ex-miners could modify the synthesis of melatonin and there are no data available in the scientific literature ...

The circadian rhythms in melatonin production in the chicken pineal gland and retina reflect changes in the activity of serotonin N-acetyltransferase (arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase; AA-NAT; EC 2.3.1.87). Here we determined that the chicken AA-NAT mRNA is detectable in follicular pineal cells and retinal photoreceptors and that it exhibits a circadian rhythm, with peak levels at night. AA-N...