Biomaterial Database

Influence of sleep deprivation coupled with administration of melatonin on the ultrastructure of rat pineal gland. 2001

C T Lan, and J C Hsu, and E A Ling

Department of Anatomy, Chung-Shan Medical and Dental College, No. 110, Sec. 1, Chien Kuo North Road, Taichung, Taiwan. ctlan@mercury.csmc.edu.tw

The effects of sleep deprivation with or without melatonin treatment on the pineal morphology in rats were studied. Five days after sleep deprivation and using electron microscopy, many of the pinealocytes exhibited structural alterations including dilation of the cisternae of the rough/smooth endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi saccules and mitochondria, and an increase in the numbers of lipid droplets, vacuoles and dense-core vesicles. These features were considered as morphological evidence of increased synthesis or secretion by the pineal gland. In addition, numerous membranous profiles, considered to be degraded cellular organelles, were observed in some pinealocytes and sympathetic nerve terminals. It is suggested that the occurrence of degenerating organelles had resulted from the deleterious effect of sleep deprivation. This may be attributed to an overload of secretory activity of the pineal gland during stress elicited by the long-term sleep deprivation, leading to functional exhaustion and irreversible damage of the oxidation-related organelles. In sleep-deprived rats receiving a single injection of melatonin (10 mg/kg) for 5 consecutive days, the above features indicative of pinealocytic activation were attenuated. In fact, all signs of degeneration of cellular organelles were rarely found. These results suggest that the pineal gland is itself a target for exogenously administered melatonin. Thus, melatonin when administered systemically may be used as a potential neuroprotective drug against neuronal damage induced by sleep deprivation.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007425	Intracellular Membranes	Thin structures that encapsulate subcellular structures or ORGANELLES in EUKARYOTIC CELLS. They include a variety of membranes associated with the CELL NUCLEUS; the MITOCHONDRIA; the GOLGI APPARATUS; the ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM; LYSOSOMES; PLASTIDS; and VACUOLES.	Membranes, Intracellular,Intracellular Membrane,Membrane, Intracellular
D008297	Male		Males
D008550	Melatonin	A biogenic amine that is found in animals and plants. In mammals, melatonin is produced by the PINEAL GLAND. Its secretion increases in darkness and decreases during exposure to light. Melatonin is implicated in the regulation of SLEEP, mood, and REPRODUCTION. Melatonin is also an effective antioxidant.
D008854	Microscopy, Electron	Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen.	Electron Microscopy
D009474	Neurons	The basic cellular units of nervous tissue. Each neuron consists of a body, an axon, and dendrites. Their purpose is to receive, conduct, and transmit impulses in the NERVOUS SYSTEM.	Nerve Cells,Cell, Nerve,Cells, Nerve,Nerve Cell,Neuron
D010870	Pineal Gland	A light-sensitive neuroendocrine organ attached to the roof of the THIRD VENTRICLE of the brain. The pineal gland secretes MELATONIN, other BIOGENIC AMINES and NEUROPEPTIDES.	Epiphysis Cerebri,Pineal Body,Corpus Pineale,Gland, Pineal,Pineal Bodies,Pineal Glands
D002940	Circadian Rhythm	The regular recurrence, in cycles of about 24 hours, of biological processes or activities, such as sensitivity to drugs or environmental and physiological stimuli.	Diurnal Rhythm,Nyctohemeral Rhythm,Twenty-Four Hour Rhythm,Nycthemeral Rhythm,Circadian Rhythms,Diurnal Rhythms,Nycthemeral Rhythms,Nyctohemeral Rhythms,Rhythm, Circadian,Rhythm, Diurnal,Rhythm, Nycthemeral,Rhythm, Nyctohemeral,Rhythm, Twenty-Four Hour,Rhythms, Circadian,Rhythms, Diurnal,Rhythms, Nycthemeral,Rhythms, Nyctohemeral,Rhythms, Twenty-Four Hour,Twenty Four Hour Rhythm,Twenty-Four Hour Rhythms
D005260	Female		Females
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012892	Sleep Deprivation	The state of being deprived of sleep under experimental conditions, due to life events, or from a wide variety of pathophysiologic causes such as medication effect, chronic illness, psychiatric illness, or sleep disorder.	Inadequate Sleep,Insufficient Sleep,Insufficient Sleep Syndrome,REM Sleep Deprivation,Sleep Debt,Sleep Fragmentation,Sleep Insufficiency,Deprivation, REM Sleep,Deprivation, Sleep,Fragmentation, Sleep,Insufficiencies, Sleep,Insufficiency, Sleep,Insufficient Sleep Syndromes,Sleep Deprivation, REM,Sleep Insufficiencies,Sleep, Inadequate,Sleep, Insufficient,Syndrome, Insufficient Sleep