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  • Title: Seasonal variations in serotonin immunoreactivity and ultrastructure in the pineal organ of the Japanese grass lizard, with special reference to environmental temperature.
    Author: Ohshima K, Hirai S, Hiramatsu K.
    Journal: Tissue Cell; 1999 Aug; 31(4):441-50. PubMed ID: 10522390.
    Abstract:
    The seasonal variations in serotonin immunoreactivity and ultrastructure of the secretory rudimentary photoreceptor cells (SRPC) were studied in the pineal organ of the Japanese grass lizard, Takydromus tachydromoides in relation to the environmental temperature. Our results clearly demonstrated that serotonin immunoreactivity in the lizard pineal organ displayed seasonal variations under an artificial photoperiod of LD 12:12 and natural temperature in the laboratory. Immunoreactivity became intense with increase in temperature from spring to summer, showing the strongest reaction in the summer, and subsequently became weak with the drop in temperature to winter. Also, the SRPC of the lizard showed distinct seasonal variations in number and size of the dense-cored vesicles correlated to the serotonin immunoreactivity. In contrast, the changes in size of the lysosomes and nucleoli of the SRPC were inversely proportional to that of the dense-cored vesicles. Furthermore, the lysosomes ingested some dense-cored vesicles after the autumn, and they coalesced to form huge autophagosomes or residual bodies during the winter. The present study provided serotonin-immunohistochemical and ultrastructural evidence for seasonal variations in the secretory activity of the lizard pineal organ in accordance with changes in the environmental temperature. However, there may be few functional relationships between the pineal gland and the reproductive organs in the male Japanese lizard in relation to environmental temperature.
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