Morphology and histochemical characteristics human pineal gland acervuli during the aging

Abstract

Pineal acervuli are calcificated structures, present in gland's parenchyma as well as in its leptomeningeal capsula. The aim of our research was to determine the morphological and histochemical characteristics of pineal acervuli during the aging process. During our research, 30 corpses pineal glands were analyzed with light microscope. Their age ranged from 20 to 82, and they were classified into three age groups. Samples were processed by standard histological method, and thereafter stained with HE stain, PAS and AB PAS stain, modified aldehyde fuchsine stain, resorcin fuchsin stain, Gordon Sweet method and Mallory's trichrome connetctive tissue stain. Acervuli stained blue on HEstained sections. They were PAS and AB PAS positive. On aldehyde fuchsin stained sections they were violet and on resorcin fuchsine stained sections they were red colored. Acervuli had blue periphery and red core on Mallory's trichrome connective tissue stained sections. With Gordon Sweet's method they had yellow colored core and black colored periphery. The first age group acervuli were small with regular round or oval shape. They were localized at gland's periphery. Their size increased during the aging, and their shape became more irregular. Finally, large mulberry like acervuli were formed in the third age group probably as result of the conglomeration process. Hence, pineal acervuli are the structures which are consisted from inorganic and organic substances. During the aging they become larger with more irregular shape, which finally lead to mulberry like composite pineal acervuli formation which dominate in the pineal parenchyma.