Summary
Pineal glands of normal adult mice, 7 to 42 days after bilateral superior cervical gangliectomy and 5 and 16 hours after one dose of reserpine (10 mg/kg) were studied under the electron microscope. The architecture of the gland is basically similar to that of other mammalian pineal glands previously studied. Mouse pinealocytes are polymorphic cells with perivascular and intercellular processes. Its most prominent feature is the presence of abundant granulated vesicles with a mean diameter of 1100 Å and a dense core of about 800 Å intermingled with clear vesicles of similar size distributed throughout the cytoplasm and more concentrated in perivascular and intercellular processes. These processes were seen in continuity with the perykaryon and remained after bilateral superior cervical gangliectomy. Processes containing the plurivesicular component of adrenergic nerves situated in perivascular and intercellular spaces disappeared after bilateral superior cervical gangliectomy. Reserpine depleted small granulated vesicles of nerves but the larger ones of perikaryon and polar processes remained almost unchanged.
The histochemical technique of Wood was positive for catechol- and indolamines in the nerves. The reaction was negative in the perikaryon and polar processes.
The significance of these findings is discussed.
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This work has been supported by grants of the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina and U.S. Air Force AF-AFOSR 67-0963 A.
I am greatly indebted to Miss Haydee Agoff and Mr. Alberto Saenz for their skillful technical assistance.
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de Iraldi, A.P. Granulated vesicles in the pineal gland of the mouse. Z. Zellforsch. 101, 408–418 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00335577
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00335577