Ciba Foundation Symposium - The Pineal Gland

401 Pages·1971·21.451 MB·English

THE PINEAL GLAND
A Ciba Foundation Symposium
Edited by
G. E. W. WOLSTENHOLME
and
JULIE KNIGHT
CHU RCHl LL LlVl NGSTON E
Edinburgh and London
19 71
First published 1971
Containing 134 illustrations
I.S.B.N. 0 7000 1502 7
0 Longrnan Group Ltd. 1971
All rights reserved. NO part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photo-
copying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the cobyright owner.
Printed in Great Britain
Contents
L. Martini Chairman’s introduction I
J. A. Kappers The pineal organ: an introduction 3
Discussion Arstila, Axelrod, Collin, Herbert, Kappers, Lerner,
Oksche, Owrnan, Martini, Miline, Nir, Reiter, Shein.
Wurtrnan 25
1. Axelrod Neural control of indoleamine metabolism in the
pineal 35
Discussion Axelrod, Kordon, Martini, Mess, Nir, Reiter, Wurtrnan 47
D. E. Kelly Developmental aspects of amphibian pineal systems 53
Discussion Arstila, Axelrod, Collin, Dodt, Kappers, Kelly, Miline,
Oksche 74
J. P. Collin Differentiation and regression of the cells of the
sensory line in the epiphysis cerebri 79
Discussion Axelrod, Collin, Kappers, Kelly, Martini, Miline, Oksche,
Owrnan, Pellegrino de Iraldi, Wurtrnan I20
A. Oksche Sensory and glandular elements of the pineal organ I27
A. U. Arstila Secretory organelles of the rat pineal gland: electron
H. 0. Kalimo microscopic and histochemical studies in vivo and
M. Hyyppa in vitro I47
Discussion Arstila, Collin, Dodt, Kappers, Kordon, Oksche, Owman,
Mess, Miline, Pellegrino de Iraldi, Wurtrnan I64
A. Pellegrino de lraldi Two compartments in the granulated vesicles of
A. M. Suburo the pineal nerves I77
Discussion Arstila, Axelrod, Herbert, Miline, Owrnan, Pellegrino
de Iraldi, Shein, Wurtrnan 191
H. M. Shein Control of melatonin synthesis by noradrenaline
in rat pineal organ cultures I97
Discussion Arstila, Axelrod, Kordon, Lerner, Martini, Owrnan,
Shein, Wurtrnan 207
F. Anton-Tay Pineal-brain relationships 21 3
Discussion Antbn- Jay, Axelrod, Herbert, Kappers, Martini, Mess,
Miline, Nir, Reiter, Shein, Wurtrnan 220
B. Mess Luteinization induced by pinealectomy in the
A. Heizer polyfollicular ovaries of rats bearing anterior
A. T6th hypothalamic lesions 229
L. Tima
Discussion Herbert, Kordon, Martini, Mess, Miline, Reiter, Shein,
Wurtrnan 237
A. Moszkowska Biochemical fractions and mechanisms involved in
C. Kordon the pineal modulation of pituitary gonadotropin
I. Ebels release 24 I
V
vi CONTENTS
Discussion Kappers, Kordon, Lerner, Martini, Owman, Wurtman 256
F. Fraschini Mechanisms of inhibitory action of pineal principles
R. Collu on gonadotropin secretion 259
L. Martini
Discussion Axelrod, Herbert, Martini, Reiter, Singer, Wurtman 273
M. Motta Pineal principles and the control of adrenocortico-
0. Schiaffini tropin secretion 279
F. Piva
L. Martini
Discussion Fiske, Kordon, Miline, Motta, Nir, Owman, Singer,
Wurtman 29 I
J. Herbert The role of the pineal gland in the control by light
of the reproductive cycle of the ferret 303
Discussion Axelrod, Collin, Herbert, Kappers, Kelly, Kordon,
Miline, Oksche, Owman, Wurtman 320
R. J. Reiter Factors influential in determining the gonad-inhibit-
Sorrentino, Jr. ing activity of the pineal gland 329
S.
Discussion Fraschini, Herbert, Kordon, Martini, Mess, Miline,
Owman, Reiter, Wurtman 340
M. Milcu The effect of pinealectomy on plasma insulin in rats 345
S.
L. Nanu-lonescu
1. Milcu
Discussion Fiske, Milcu, Miline, Nir, Owman, Singer, Wurtman 3 57
General Discussion Role of serotonin in the pineal
Effects of melatonin on serotoninergic systems
Behavioural effects of pineal principles
Role of the pineal in cold adaptation
Control of circadian rhythms
Light input and the pineal
Ant6n-Toy, Arstila, Axelrod, Dodt, Fiske, Fraschini,
Herbert, Kappers, Kordon, Martini, Mess, Milcu,
Miline, Oksche, Owman, Shein, Wurtman 36 I
R. J. Wurtman Summary of symposium 379
Author Index 39 I
Subject Index 392
Membership
Symposium on The Pineal Gland, held 30th June-
2nd July 1970
L. Martini lstituto di Farmacologica e di Terapia, Universiti degli
(Chairman) Studi, Via Vanvitelli Milano, Italy
32, 20129
F. Ant6n-Tay lnstituto de lnvestigaciones Biornedicas, Universidad
Nagional Autonoma, Apartado Postal Mexico
70228,
City D.F., Mexico
20,
A. Arstila Laboratory of Electron Microscopy, University of Turku,
Turku Finland
3,
1. Axelrod Mental Health Intramural Research Programme, National
Institute of Mental Health, Rockville Pike, Bethesda,
9000
Maryland U.S.A.
20014,
J. P. Collin Laboratoire de Biologie Animale, Universitk de Clermont-
Ferrand, Complexe Scientifique des Cezeaux, B.P. No.
45,
Aubiere, France
63
E. Dodt William G. Kerckhoff-Herzforschungsinstitut der Max-
Planck-Gesellschaft, Bad Nauheim, Germany
6350
Virginia M. Fiske Department of Biological Sciences, Wellesley College,
Wellesley, Massachusetts U.S.A.
02181,
F. Fraschini lstituto de Farmacologia e di Terapia, Universiti degli
Studi, Via Vanvitelli Milano, Italy
32, 20129
J. Herbert Department of Anatomy, University of Cambridge
1. A. Kappers Nederlands Centraal lnstituut voor Hersenonderzoek,
ljdijk Amsterdam-0, The Netherlands
28,
E. Kelly Department of Biological Structure, University of Miami,
D.
School of Medicine, P.O. Box Biscayne Annex,
875,
Miami, Florida U.S.A.
33 152,
C. Kordon Laboratoire d’Histophysiologie, College de France,
4
Avenue Gordon-Bennett, Paris 16e, France
A. B. Lerner Section of Dermatology, School of Medicine, Yale
University, New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.A.
B. Mess Department of Anatomy, University Medical School,
Dischka utca 5, PBcs, Hungary
S. M. Milcu lnstitutul de Endocrinologie, Academia de Stiinte
Medicale, Bulevardui Aviatorilor Bucharest, Rumania
31,
R. Miline Medicinski fakultet, institut za histologiju i embriologiju,
Novi Sad, Yugoslavia
A. Moszkowska Laboratoire d’Histophysiologie, College de France,
4
Avenue Gordon-Sennett, Paris Ibe, France
Vii
viii MEMBERSHIP
Marcella Motta lstituto di Farmacologia e di Terapia, Universiti degli
Studi, Via Vanvitelli 32, 20129 Milano, Italy
I. Nir Department of Applied Pharmacology, Hebrew University
Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
A. Oksche Anatomisches Institut, Justus Liebig-Universitat, Fried-
richstrasse 24, Giessen 63, Germany
C. Owman Institute of Anatomy and Histology, Department of
Anatomy, University of Lund, Biskopsgatan 7, 223 62
Lund, Sweden
Amanda Pellegrino de lnstituto de Anatomia General y Embriologia, Facultad
lraldi de Medicina, lJniversidad de Buenos Aires, Paraguay 2155,
Buenos Aires, Republica Argentina
R. J. Reiter Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine and Dentis-
try, The University of Rochester, 260 Crittenden Boule-
vard, Rochester, New Yark 14620, U.S.A.
H. M. Shein Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School,
Belmont, Massachusetts 02178, U.S.A.
Bertha Singer Department of Physiology, The Medical School, University
of Birmingham, Birmingham, 15
R. 1. Wurtman Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Massa-
chusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massa-
chusetts 02139, U.S.A.
Preface
At the Third International Congress of Endocrinology in Mexico City
in 1968, Professor R. J. Wurtman approached the Director of the Ciba
Foundation, Dr Wolstenholme, to suggest that one of the Foundation’s
small international symposia should be held to discuss recent progress in
research on the pineal gland. There was a certain nobility about this
proposal, in that The Pineal (Academic Press, 1968), the excellent and
comprehensive review by Professor Wurtniaii, Dr J. Axelrod and
Professor D. E. Kelly, was in press at the time. It was already obvious,
however, that research on the pineal was going so well that there was
much promise of a useful symposium in two years’ time. Further talks
were held in Stresa, Italy, in 1969 between Professor Wurtman, Professor
L. Martini, Professor J. Ariens Kappers and Dr Wolstenholmc, which
helped to decide the scope and membership of the Foundation’s sym-
posium, and in the event, in June 1970, the wealth ofnew material with all
its interesting potentialities surprised cvcn those most closely involvcd
in this area of research.
The pineal gland may well be about to attract the same limelight as
the adrenal cortex some twenty years ago, with an equal impact on the
better understanding of human functioning and behaviour, in health and
disease.
The editors are indebted to all contributors, particularly those named
above, for unstinted and enthusiastic cooperation in the preparation of
this book.
ix
The Ciba Foundation
The Ciba Foundation was opened in 1949 to promote
international cooperation in medical and chemical re-
search. It owes its existence to the generosity of CIBA
Ltd, Bade (now CIBA-GETGY Ltd), who, recognizing
the obstacles to scientific communication created by war, man’s
natural secretiveness, disciplinary divisions, academic prejudices,
distance, and differences of language, decided to set up a philan-
thropic institution whose aim would be to overcome such barriers.
London was chosen as its site for reasons dictated by the special
advantages of English charitable trust law (ensuring the inde-
pendence ofits actions), as well as those oflanguage and geography.
The Foundation’s house at 41 Portland Place, London, has
become well known to workers in many fields of science. Every
year the Foundation organizes six to ten three-day symposia and
three or four shorter study groups, all of which are published in
book form. Many other scientific meetings are held, organized
either by the Foundation or by other groups in need of a meeting
place. Accommodation is also provided for scientists visiting
London, whether or not they are attending a meeting in the house.
The Foundation’s many activities are controlled by a small
group of distinguished trustees. Within the general framework
of biological science, interpreted in its broadest sense, these activi-
ties are well summed up by the motto of the Ciba Foundation:
Consocient Gentes-let the peoples come together.
xi
THE PlNEAL GLAND
Edited by. G. E. W. WOLSTENHOLME 8 JULIE KNIGHT
Copyright 0 Ciba Foundation 1971
CHAIRMAN’S INTRODUCTION
PROFESSOLR. MARTINI
The first thing I want to say is that all of us must be very grateful to the
Ciba Foundation and to Dr Wolstenholme in particular for having ar-
ranged this meeting for us. Secondly, I wish to point out a few peculiar
things about the pineal gland.
The first peculiarity is that scientists have not been really interested in
this gland until very recently. I believe one of the reasons why this
happened is that the pineal gland has interested the philosophers for a long
time; it is possible that endocrinologists do not have much rcspect for
philosophers. Another possible reason is that animals normally survive
pinealectomy (provided the surgeon is a good one) ; this puts the pineal
gland in a kind of second rank among endocrine structures. In addition,
the effects of pinealectomy arc apparent for some time, but later on
pinealectomized animals recover and become perfectly normal again.
A second peculiarity of the pineal gland is that you cannot bring back a
pinealectomized animal to its normal status by administering systemically
crude pineal extracts or the more refined compounds which have recently
been isolated from the gland. Transplants ofpineal tissue arc also ineffective
(Reiter and Fraschini 1969). The reason why you cannot reverse the effects
of pinealectomy by transplanting the pineal gland is now apparent.
Thanks to studies which will be reviewed at this mecting we now know
that the pineal gland has a peculiar sympathetic innervation which is
essential to its function; a transplanted pineal gland cannot be re-innervated
in the same way (Wurtman, Axelrod and Kelly 1968). This brings me to
a thrd peculiarity of the pineal gland: this gland is located in strict contact
with the brain; however, its innervation does not originate from the
nervous Structures which are close to the gland.
Another peculiarity of the pineal gland is the fact that the rcccptors
sensitive to its hormones are localized almost exclusively in the brain.
Published evidence for a nervous site of action of pineal hormones in-
cludes (a) the studies by Wurtman and his co-workers (Ant6n-Tay and
Wurtman 1969) indicating that exogenous melatonin is concentrated by
nervous structures; (b) the observation that melatonin may modify some
biochemical processes taking place in the brain (as, for instance, the metabo-
lism of serotonin) (Ant6n-Tay et al. 1968) ; and (c) the data obtained in my
I