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International Journal of Molecular... Feb 2022Much attention has been recently drawn to studying melatonin - a hormone whose synthesis was first found in the epiphysis (pineal gland). This interest can be due to... (Review)
Review
Much attention has been recently drawn to studying melatonin - a hormone whose synthesis was first found in the epiphysis (pineal gland). This interest can be due to discovering the role of melatonin in numerous physiological processes. It was the discovery of melatonin synthesis in endocrine organs (pineal gland), neural structures (Purkinje cells in the cerebellum, retinal photoreceptors), and immunocompetent cells (T lymphocytes, NK cells, mast cells) that triggered the evolution of new approaches to the unifield signal regulation of homeostasis, which, at the turn of the 21st century, lead to the creation of a new integral biomedical discipline - neuroimmunoendocrinology. While numerous hormones have been verified over the last decade outside the "classical" locations of their formation, melatonin occupies an exclusive position with regard to the diversity of locations where it is synthesized and secreted. This review provides an overview and discussion of the major data regarding the role of melatonin in various physiological and pathological processes, which affords grounds for considering melatonin as the "cornerstone" on which neuroimmunoendocrinology has been built as an integral concept of homeostasis regulation.
Topics: Animals; Homeostasis; Humans; Lymphocytes; Mast Cells; Melatonin; Neurosecretory Systems
PubMed: 35163757
DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031835 -
Cancers Mar 2021The pineal gland is a small, pinecone-shaped endocrine gland that participates in the biological rhythm regulation of vertebrates. The recognized major product of the... (Review)
Review
The pineal gland is a small, pinecone-shaped endocrine gland that participates in the biological rhythm regulation of vertebrates. The recognized major product of the pineal gland is melatonin-a multifunctional endogenous indoleamine. Accumulating evidence suggests that the pineal gland is important for preserving ideal health conditions in vertebrate. Tumors of the pineal region account for approximately 3-11% of pediatric brain neoplasms but fewer than 1% of brain neoplasms in adults. It is fundamental to expand advanced imaging techniques together with both clinical and laboratory knowledge, to help to differentiate among pineal neoplasms and thus facilitate accurate primary diagnoses and proper therapeutic interventions. In this review, we report the gross anatomy of the pineal gland and its functional significance and discuss the clinical relevance of pineal gland tumors, underlining the importance of identifying the leading causes of pineal region masses.
PubMed: 33801639
DOI: 10.3390/cancers13071547 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Nov 2022Melatonin, -acetyl-5-hydroxytryptamine, is a hormone that synchronizes the internal environment with the photoperiod. It is synthesized in the pineal gland and greatly... (Review)
Review
Melatonin, -acetyl-5-hydroxytryptamine, is a hormone that synchronizes the internal environment with the photoperiod. It is synthesized in the pineal gland and greatly depends on the endogenous circadian clock located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and the retina's exposure to different light intensities. Among its most studied functions are the regulation of the waking-sleep rhythm and body temperature. Furthermore, melatonin has pleiotropic actions, which affect, for instance, the modulation of the immune and the cardiovascular systems, as well as the neuroprotection achieved by scavenging free radicals. Recent research has supported that melatonin contributes to neuronal survival, proliferation, and differentiation, such as dendritogenesis and axogenesis, and its processes are similar to those caused by Nerve Growth Factor, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Neurotrophin-3, and Neurotrophin-4/5. Furthermore, this indolamine has apoptotic and anti-inflammatory actions in specific brain regions akin to those exerted by neurotrophic factors. This review presents evidence suggesting melatonin's role as a neurotrophic factor, describes the signaling pathways involved in these processes, and, lastly, highlights the therapeutic implications involved.
Topics: Melatonin; Pineal Gland; Nerve Growth Factors; Suprachiasmatic Nucleus; Sleep; Transforming Growth Factor beta
PubMed: 36431847
DOI: 10.3390/molecules27227742 -
Aging Medicine (Milton (N.S.W)) Sep 2018The pineal gland is a neuroendocrine gland closely related to human aging. Melatonin is a kind of indole neuroendocrine hormone secreted by the pineal gland, which is... (Review)
Review
The pineal gland is a neuroendocrine gland closely related to human aging. Melatonin is a kind of indole neuroendocrine hormone secreted by the pineal gland, which is essential for maintaining physiological function. Many researches found that melatonin plays a key role in anti-aging-related cardiovascular diseases. In this paper, the latest advances in the study of melatonin and aging-related cardiovascular diseases are reviewed, and their related physiological functions and mechanisms are discussed.
PubMed: 31942497
DOI: 10.1002/agm2.12036 -
Neuro-oncology Jun 2022The study aimed to evaluate whether simplified chemotherapy followed by dose-reduced irradiation was effective for treating patients (ages 3-21 years) with localized...
BACKGROUND
The study aimed to evaluate whether simplified chemotherapy followed by dose-reduced irradiation was effective for treating patients (ages 3-21 years) with localized germinoma. The primary endpoint was 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate.
METHODS
Patients with a complete response to chemotherapy with carboplatin and etoposide received 18 Gy WVI + 12 Gy boost to the tumor bed. Patients with partial response proceeded to 24 Gy WVI + 12 Gy. Longitudinal cognitive functioning was evaluated prospectively on ALTE07C1 and was a primary study aim.
RESULTS
One hundred and fifty-one patients were enrolled; 137 were eligible. Among 90 evaluable patients, 74 were treated with 18 Gy and 16 with 24 Gy WVI. The study failed to demonstrate noninferiority of the 18 Gy WVI regimen compared to the design threshold of 95% 3-year PFS rate, where, per design, patients who could not be assessed for progression at 3 years were counted as failures. The Kaplan-Meier (KM)-based 3-year PFS estimates were 94.5 ± 2.7% and 93.75 ± 6.1% for the 18 Gy and 24 Gy WVI cohorts, respectively. Collectively, estimated mean IQ and attention/concentration were within normal range. A lower mean attention score was observed at 9 months for patients treated with 24 Gy. Acute effects in processing speed were observed in the 18 Gy cohort at 9 months which improved at 30-month assessment.
CONCLUSIONS
While a failure according to the prospective statistical noninferiority design, this study demonstrated high rates of chemotherapy responses, favorable KM-based PFS and OS estimates in the context of reduced irradiation doses and holds promise for lower long-term morbidities for patients with germinoma.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Brain Neoplasms; Carboplatin; Child; Child, Preschool; Etoposide; Germinoma; Humans; Pineal Gland; Prospective Studies; Young Adult
PubMed: 34850169
DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noab270 -
Proceedings (Baylor University. Medical... Jan 2015Pineal region tumors make up less than 1% of all intracranial neoplasms, with the majority being of germ cell origin. We describe the diagnostic evaluation and treatment...
Pineal region tumors make up less than 1% of all intracranial neoplasms, with the majority being of germ cell origin. We describe the diagnostic evaluation and treatment of a patient presenting with neurological deficits who was found to have a germinoma of the pineal gland.
PubMed: 25552796
DOI: 10.1080/08998280.2015.11929183 -
Zhurnal Voprosy Neirokhirurgii Imeni N.... 2017A pineal cyst (PC) is a benign neoplasm in the pineal region, or more precisely in the pineal body. Most cysts are incidental findings and are not associated with... (Review)
Review
UNLABELLED
A pineal cyst (PC) is a benign neoplasm in the pineal region, or more precisely in the pineal body. Most cysts are incidental findings and are not associated with symptoms typical of patients seeking medical advice. Symptomatic cysts are discovered less often and, depending on the clinical picture, require different treatment approaches.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
We analyzed the literature data about the clinical picture, diagnosis, and treatment of PCs for more than a century (1914-2016).
CONCLUSION
To date, there is no single approach for managing PC patients. The indications for surgical treatment of symptomatic PCs are still not fully defined. It remains unclear which PC cases should be followed-up, and how often control examinations should be performed. More research of PCs is needed to develop new approaches to treatment of PC patients.
Topics: Cysts; Humans; Pineal Gland; Pinealoma
PubMed: 28914878
DOI: 10.17116/neiro2017814113-120 -
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