Melatonin production by the pineal gland in the vertebrate brain has attracted much scientific attention. Pineal melatonin is regulated by photoperiodicity, whereas circadian secretion of melatonin produced in the gastrointestinal tract is regulated by food intake. Thus, the circadian rhythm of pineal melatonin depends upon whether a species is diurnal or nocturnal. Spinal cord injury (SCI) inv...

The pineal gland in ma.i is an active endocrine gland throughout life (Wurtman et al., 1964 ; Tapp & Huxley, 1972 ; Cardinali, 1974 ; Reiter et al., 1975 ; Reiter, 1978). It elaborates several hormones with precise rhythmicity. The chronobiological aspects of the mammalian pineal gland have been clearly brought out by Reiler (198!) defining the circadian rhythms in indole metabolism within the ...

OBJECTIVES Pineal lesions can present as a heterogeneous collection of benign and malignant disease conditions. Pineal lesions include germ cell tumours, neoplasms arising from the pineal parenchyma, as well as other pineal region masses. METHODS A variety of cases of pineal lesions are presented. The important clinical features and typical imaging findings of each pineal lesion are described...

Circadian rhythms are daily cycles that control our sleep-wake patterns, hormone release, and body temperature, and are found in virtually all life forms. Because our internal clock runs just over 24 hours, our bodies set it to match day length using environmental cues such as light. Information about light levels travels from the eyes to a brain structure called the pineal gland, which adjusts...

Melatonin is a natural hormone produced by the pineal gland and derivative of serotonin. One key properties melatonin its chronobiological ability, realized multilevel synchronization biological processes. Physiologically, secretion increases at night decreases in morning. At present, role regulation sleep, circadian rhythms, adaptation body to rapid change time zones has been proven. With decr...

Objective: Exposure to various toxic metals has become an increasingly recognized source of illness in human and animals, worldwide. Arsenic (As) and its compounds cause adverse health effects in animals and humans. Recently, it has been suggested that the pineal gland may also have antioxidants role due to secretary product other than melatonin. With keeping this view, present investigation te...

The ultrastructure of the dog pineal gland from the first postnatal day to the seventh month is described. In the first postnatal stages, pineal parenchyma only shows immature proliferative cells with abundant cytoplasmic glycogen. Nerve fibers are seen in the pineal connective tissue spaces. The differentiation of the dog pineal cell types begins in the first postnatal week. Both pinealocytes ...