The aged pineal gland: reduction in pinealocyte number and adrenergic innervation in male rats.

- Reuss S, Spies C, Schroder H, Vollrath L

Exp Gerontol 1990;25(2):183-8.

Previous biochemical and physiological studies point to an age-related loss of pineal function. Morphological studies revealed increased connective tissue and glial cell numbers in the gland. In the present study we investigated whether the number of parenchymal cells and the incidence of sympathetic fibers in the rat pineal gland is altered with advanced age. The comparison of pineal histology of young adult (2-3 months old) and aged animals (22-26 months old) showed that pinealocyte number in old animals is decreased by 18%. In addition, sympathetic innervation of the gland as revealed by glyoxylic acid fluorescence is drastically reduced in these animals. It is concluded that the age-related decline in pineal metabolism may be due to both decreased parenchymal cell number and reduced sympathetic innervation.

This abstract at PubMed.