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Taxonomic and Ethnical Dispersion of the Phenomenon of Pineal Concretions in the Gerontological Context

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Abstract

The pineal gland (PG), or epiphysis, is involved in the organization of biological rhythms and adaptive reactions of the organism by the hormone melatonin. It is shown that various factors can influence the morphology and functional activity of the gland. Calcified concretions (corpora arenacea, brain sand) are unique biomineral structures of the PG; the causes of their formation and their possible functional significance have been unclear until now. To date, concrements have been found in four species of birds and 21 mammalian species, as well as in humans; they are absent in fish, amphibians, and reptiles. In this review, we have collected the available literature data on the composition, mechanisms of formation, and possible factors affecting the accumulation of concretions in the epiphysis. Although the generally accepted point of view is that the accumulation of pineal calcium deposits is age-dependent, the available data on PG mineralization lead to the conclusion that there is most likely a multifactorial mechanism of concrement formation. In addition, the nature and crystallinity of the inorganic tissue of the pineal concretions suggest that corpora arenacea, is a regulated and physiological type of petrification rather than a pathological type. The existence of contradictory data on the connection between the formation of brain sand and the change in the functional activity of the PG during seasonal endocrine changes and in the aging process requires the study of deposits and in-depth investigation.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors express their deep gratitude to Ph.D. E.A. Khizhkin for his help with the preparation of the illustrative material, to Alexandra Elbakyan, and to the reviewers of the journal, for careful consideration of the article and the most valuable comments and suggestions, which were taken into account during editing.

Funding

The study was carried out under state order (project no. 0218-2019-0073) and co-financed by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, grant no. 18-34-00035.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biology, Karelian Research Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, 185910, Petrozavodsk, Russia

    S. N. Sergina, V. A. Ilyukha, A. V. Morozov & E. P. Antonova

  2. Petrozavodsk State University, 185000, Petrozavodsk, Russia

    E. S. Bruler & A. D. Volodina

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  1. S. N. Sergina
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  2. V. A. Ilyukha
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  3. A. V. Morozov
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  4. E. P. Antonova
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  5. E. S. Bruler
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  6. A. D. Volodina
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Correspondence to S. N. Sergina.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. This article does not contain any studies involving animals or human participants performed by any of the authors.

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Translated by P. Kuchina

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Sergina, S.N., Ilyukha, V.A., Morozov, A.V. et al. Taxonomic and Ethnical Dispersion of the Phenomenon of Pineal Concretions in the Gerontological Context. Adv Gerontol 9, 232–243 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1134/S2079057019020206

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S2079057019020206

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