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Frontiers in Endocrinology 2020Similar to the adrenal glands, gonads, and placenta, vertebrate brains also produce various steroids, which are known as "neurosteroids." Neurosteroids are mainly... (Review)
Review
Similar to the adrenal glands, gonads, and placenta, vertebrate brains also produce various steroids, which are known as "neurosteroids." Neurosteroids are mainly synthesized in the hippocampus, hypothalamus, and cerebellum; however, it has recently been discovered that in birds, the pineal gland, a photosensitive region in the brain, produces more neurosteroids than other brain regions. A series of experiments using molecular and biochemical techniques have found that the pineal gland produces various neurosteroids, including sex steroids, from cholesterol. For instance, allopregnanolone and 7α-hydroxypregnenolone are actively produced in the pineal gland, unlike in other brain regions. Pineal 7α-hydroxypregnenolone, an up-regulator of locomotion, enhances locomotor activity in response to light stimuli in birds. Additionally, pineal allopregnanolone acts on Purkinje cells in the cerebellum and prevents neuronal apoptosis within the developing cerebellum in juvenile birds. Furthermore, exposure to light during nighttime hours can cause loss of diurnal variations of pineal allopregnanolone synthesis during early posthatch life, eventually leading to cerebellar Purkinje cell death in juvenile birds. In light of these new findings, this review summarizes the biosynthesis and physiological functions of pineal neurosteroids. Given that the circadian rhythms of individuals in modern societies are constantly interrupted by artificial light exposure, these findings in birds, which are excellent model diurnal animals, may have direct implications for addressing problems regarding the mental health and brain development of humans.
Topics: Animals; Cell Physiological Phenomena; Humans; Motor Activity; Neurosteroids; Pineal Gland
PubMed: 32849313
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.00549 -
Clinical Radiology Feb 2022Lesions arising in or around the pineal gland comprise a heterogeneous group of pathologies ranging from benign non-neoplastic cysts to highly malignant neoplasms.... (Review)
Review
Lesions arising in or around the pineal gland comprise a heterogeneous group of pathologies ranging from benign non-neoplastic cysts to highly malignant neoplasms. Pineal cysts are frequently encountered as an incidental finding in daily radiology practice but there is no universal agreement on the criteria for, frequency of, and duration of follow-up imaging. Solid pineal neoplasms pose a diagnostic challenge owing to considerable overlap in their imaging characteristics, although a combination of radiological appearances, clinical findings, and tumour markers allows for narrowing of the differential diagnosis. In this review, we describe the radiological anatomy of the pineal region, clinical symptoms, imaging appearances, and differential diagnosis of lesions arising in this area, and highlight the clinical management of these conditions.
Topics: Brain Neoplasms; Cysts; Diagnosis, Differential; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Neuroimaging; Pineal Gland; Pinealoma
PubMed: 34774298
DOI: 10.1016/j.crad.2021.09.020 -
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton,... 2022The pineal transcriptome webpage is described, which provides access to the transcript expression profile of the vertebrate pineal gland and, in many cases, the retina....
The pineal transcriptome webpage is described, which provides access to the transcript expression profile of the vertebrate pineal gland and, in many cases, the retina. Experimental material was obtained during the day and night, providing an opportunity to examine rhythmicity. The vertebrates represented include human, rhesus, rat, mouse, chicken, and zebrafish. In addition, data on the effects of surgical denervation and pharmacological treatments of the rat are included. Data are freely available to users.
Topics: Animals; Circadian Rhythm; Humans; Mice; Pineal Gland; Rats; Retina; Transcriptome; Zebrafish
PubMed: 36180686
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2593-4_17 -
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton,... 2022The isolation of single cells from the pineal gland plays an essential role in understanding the complex nature of such processes as differentiation, metabolism, and...
The isolation of single cells from the pineal gland plays an essential role in understanding the complex nature of such processes as differentiation, metabolism, and cell-cell communication within the pineal gland. This procedure is the portal to single-cell RNA sequencing, which produces the transcriptome of individual cells. As such, single-cell RNA sequencing is critical to the continued development of knowledge of the pineal cell physiology. This chapter describes a simple procedure for isolating individual cells. Starting with the incubation of whole tissue in an enzyme preparation, which dissociates the pineal gland into small pieces, it continues with gentle trituration and then isolation of single cells through filtration. The procedure takes less than 2 h.
Topics: Astrocytes; Pineal Gland; Transcriptome
PubMed: 36180682
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2593-4_13 -
Child's Nervous System : ChNS :... Apr 2016
Topics: History, 17th Century; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; History, Ancient; Humans; Medical Illustration; Pineal Gland
PubMed: 25758643
DOI: 10.1007/s00381-015-2636-3 -
Systematic Reviews Mar 2023Pineal gland calcification is the formation of corpora arenacea predominantly composed of calcium and phosphorus. It plays an important role in regulating the light/dark... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Pineal gland calcification is the formation of corpora arenacea predominantly composed of calcium and phosphorus. It plays an important role in regulating the light/dark circadian changes to synchronize their daily physiological activities like feeding, metabolism, reproduction, and sleep through the secretion of melatonin. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the pooled prevalence of pineal gland calcification.
METHODS
A systematic review was done using published research articles from different electronic databases. Cross-sectional studies were included for systematic review and only studies conducted on the human population were included for quantitative analysis. Published articles were selected by assessing the title and abstract for relevance to the review objectives. Finally, the full text was retrieved for further assessment.
RESULTS
The pooled prevalence of pineal gland calcification was 61.65% [95% CI: 52.81, 70.49], with a heterogeneity of I = 97.7%, P ≤ 0.001. According to the qualitative analysis, an increase in age, male sex, and white ethnicity are the major socio-demographic characteristics that increase the prevalence of pineal gland calcification.
CONCLUSION
The pooled prevalence of pineal gland calcification was higher compared with reports from previous studies. Different studies reported pineal gland calcification was most prevalent in the adult population compared with the pediatric age groups. According to the qualitative analysis, an increase in age, male sex, and white ethnicity are the major socio-demographic characteristics that increase the prevalence of pineal gland calcification.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Child; Male; Cross-Sectional Studies; Pineal Gland; Prevalence; Calcium; Databases, Factual
PubMed: 36879256
DOI: 10.1186/s13643-023-02205-5 -
Journal of Psychopharmacology (Oxford,... Jul 2018
Topics: N,N-Dimethyltryptamine; Pineal Gland
PubMed: 29991342
DOI: 10.1177/0269881118767648a -
Journal of Anatomy Apr 2018The circumventricular organs (CVOs) are specialised neuroepithelial structures found in the midline of the brain, grouped around the third and fourth ventricles. They... (Review)
Review
The circumventricular organs (CVOs) are specialised neuroepithelial structures found in the midline of the brain, grouped around the third and fourth ventricles. They mediate the communication between the brain and the periphery by performing sensory and secretory roles, facilitated by increased vascularisation and the absence of a blood-brain barrier. Surprisingly little is known about the origins of the CVOs (both developmental and evolutionary), but their functional and organisational similarities raise the question of the extent of their relationship. Here, I review our current knowledge of the embryonic development of the seven major CVOs (area postrema, median eminence, neurohypophysis, organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis, pineal organ, subcommissural organ, subfornical organ) in embryos of different vertebrate species. Although there are conspicuous similarities between subsets of CVOs, no unifying feature characteristic of their development has been identified. Cross-species comparisons suggest that CVOs also display a high degree of evolutionary flexibility. Thus, the term 'CVO' is merely a functional definition, and features shared by multiple CVOs may be the result of homoplasy rather than ontogenetic or phylogenetic relationships.
Topics: Animals; Area Postrema; Blood-Brain Barrier; Circumventricular Organs; Humans; Hypothalamus; Phylogeny; Pineal Gland; Pituitary Gland, Posterior; Subcommissural Organ; Subfornical Organ
PubMed: 29280147
DOI: 10.1111/joa.12771 -
Journal of Neurosurgery Aug 2015
Topics: Brain Diseases; Cysts; Female; Humans; Male; Patient Selection; Pineal Gland
PubMed: 25932607
DOI: 10.3171/2014.10.JNS142134 -
Cephalalgia : An International Journal... Nov 2019The pineal gland plays an important role in biological rhythms, circadian and circannual variations, which are key aspects in several headache disorders. (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
The pineal gland plays an important role in biological rhythms, circadian and circannual variations, which are key aspects in several headache disorders.
OVERVIEW
Melatonin, the main pineal secreting hormone, has been extensively studied in primary and secondary headache disorders. Altered melatonin secretion occurs in many headache syndromes. Experimental data show pineal gland and melatonin both interfere in headache animal models, decreasing trigeminal activation. Melatonin has been shown to regulate CGRP and control its release.
DISCUSSION
Melatonin has been used successfully as a treatment for migraine, cluster headaches and other headaches. There is a rationale for including the pineal gland as a relevant brain structure in the mechanisms of headache pathophysiology, and melatonin as a treatment option in primary headache.
Topics: Adult; Animals; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; Case-Control Studies; Child; Circadian Rhythm; Clinical Trials as Topic; Disease Models, Animal; Double-Blind Method; Headache; Humans; Melatonin; Oxidation-Reduction; Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus; Pineal Gland; Receptors, Melatonin; Serotonin; Superior Cervical Ganglion
PubMed: 31370669
DOI: 10.1177/0333102419868187