Summary
Fluorescence Microscopy
Changes in the density of yellow autofluorescent and serotonincontaining pinealocytes in the rabbit pineal gland have been studied under different experimental conditions such as p-chlorophenylalanine, environmental lighting and permanent darkness, using fluorescence microscopy.
The yellow autofluorescent pinealocytes (Type II), particularly present in a circumscript area of the organ, increased in number during treatment of the animals with pCPA as well as during the night under environmental lighting conditions. This increase probably accurred at the cost of the decrease in number of serotonin-containing pinealocytes (Type I) in the same area, originally present. Moreover it could be demonstrated that under environmental lighting conditions both, the number of Type I and Type II cells, showed a day and night rhythm.
During continuous darkness the circadian rhythm in the serotonin content of the Type I cells persists. Evidently, this rhythm is not controlled by exogenous environmental lighting conditions but endogenously. In contrast to the persisting circadian serotonin rhythm, no such fluctuations could be observed in the yellow autofluorescing compound in the Type II cells.
Light Microscopy
Evidence is presented indicating that the yellow autofluorescent compound, present in the rabbit pinealocytes, is identical with a protein containing much tryptophan.
In the rabbit pineal gland three different patterns of intramural blood vessels can be distinguished which are, respectively, situated in (1) a thin cortex, (2) a medulla, and (3) a transition area of the gland situated between the cortex and the medulla, containing the Type I and Type II pinealocytes of population B (see introduction).
These studies revealed that the Type I and Type II pinealocytes of population B in close topographical contact with the intrapineal capillary system of the transition area.
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Smith, A.R., Ariëns Kappers, J. & Jongkind, J.F. Alterations in the distribution of yellow fluorescing rabbit pinealocytes produced by p-chlorophenylalanine and different conditions of illumination. J. Neural Transmission 33, 91–111 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01260899
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01260899