Vigh B, Vigh-Teichmann I
Second Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University Medical School, Budapest, Hungary.
Arch Histol Cytol. 1992 Dec;55(5):477-89. doi: 10.1679/aohc.55.477.
The pineal complex in the mink (Mustela vison) consists of a larger ventral and a smaller dorsal pineal. Both organs contain pinealocytes, neurons, glial cells, nerve fibers and synapses in an organization characteristic of nervous tissue. The cellular elements are arranged circularly around strait lumina. These lumina correspond to the photoreceptor spaces of submammalian pineals. A 9 + 0-type cilium marks the receptory pole of the pinealocytes which may form an inner-segment-like dendrite terminal in the pineal lumina. The cilia correspond to outer segments which form photoreceptor membrane multiplications in the pineal of submammalians and in certain insectivorous and mustelid mammals (bat, hedgehog, ferret). Axonal processes of the pinealocytes contain synaptic ribbons and terminate on intrapineal neurons of both organs. This pattern represents a neural efferentation of the pineal nervous tissue. The axonal processes of pinealocytes also form neurohormonal endings which pierce the perivascular limiting glial membrane in the ventral as well as in the dorsal pineal. The upper pineal ("epipineal") of the mink may correspond to the parapineal, frontal, or parietal organs of submammalian pineal complexes. Both pineals are encapsulated by the meningeal tissue of the brain stem. Afferent vasomotor axons of the meninges innervate smooth muscle cells of pineal arterioles. There are corpora arenacea in the pineal arachnoid and in the pineal nervous tissue, primarily in the ventral pineal. The localization of calcium ions detected around the membrane of pineal cells by pyroantimonate cytochemistry suggests membrane activity as the source of the calcium ions. The accumulation of calcium by the pinealocytes may be due to their neurosensory character. The mink is the first animal described to have both intrapineal and meningeal concrements like the human pineal.
水貂（鼬属）的松果复合体由一个较大的腹侧松果体和一个较小的背侧松果体组成。这两个器官都含有松果体细胞、神经元、神经胶质细胞、神经纤维和突触，其组织结构具有神经组织的特征。细胞成分围绕狭窄的管腔呈环状排列。这些管腔对应于非哺乳类动物松果体的光感受器间隙。一根9 + 0型纤毛标志着松果体细胞的感受极，该细胞可在松果体管腔中形成类似内段的树突末端。这些纤毛对应于外段，在外段中形成非哺乳类动物以及某些食虫类和鼬科哺乳动物（蝙蝠、刺猬、雪貂）松果体中的光感受器膜增殖。松果体细胞的轴突含有突触带，并终止于两个器官的松果体内神经元。这种模式代表了松果体神经组织的神经传出。松果体细胞的轴突还形成神经激素末梢，穿透腹侧和背侧松果体的血管周围限制性神经胶质膜。水貂的上松果体（“松果上体”）可能对应于非哺乳类动物松果体复合体的旁松果体、额器官或顶器官。两个松果体都被脑干的脑膜组织包裹。脑膜的传入血管运动轴突支配松果体小动脉的平滑肌细胞。松果体蛛网膜和松果体神经组织中存在脑砂，主要存在于腹侧松果体中。焦锑酸盐细胞化学检测到的松果体细胞膜周围钙离子的定位表明膜活动是钙离子的来源。松果体细胞对钙的积累可能归因于它们的神经感觉特性。水貂是第一种被描述为像人类松果体一样同时具有松果体内和脑膜结石的动物。
