Min K W, Seo I S, Song J
Department of Pathology, Mercy Hospital Medical Center, Des Moines, Iowa.
Lab Invest. 1987 Dec;57(6):724-8.
Pineal glands from 16 infants ranging from 38 weeks gestation to 3 years of age were fixed in buffered formalin; Paraffin sections were stained for neuron-specific enolase, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and S-100 protein (S-100) using the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method and hematoxylin and eosin, Masson-Fontana, and Bodian stains. The pineal glands of neonates consisted of cords of closely packed, dark, nucleated cells (type I) with intervening loosely arranged, large, clear cells (type II). The type I cells were frequently pigmented and occasionally exhibited rosette formation. They were positive for S-100 and negative for neuron-specific enolase. The type II cells were strongly positive for neuron-specific enolase and negative for melanin and S-100. The type I cells were the predominant cell type at birth; however, the number of type II cells gradually increased with age, and by the age of 1 year, only scattered S-100 positive cells, consistent with sustentacular cells, were found. The findings indicated that the human pineal glands undergo a remarkable morphologic and functional evolution as an endocrine organ in the postnatal life.
取自16例胎龄38周的婴儿至3岁儿童的松果体，用缓冲甲醛固定；石蜡切片采用过氧化物酶-抗过氧化物酶法及苏木精-伊红、Masson-Fontana和Bodian染色法，分别对神经元特异性烯醇化酶、胶质纤维酸性蛋白和S-100蛋白（S-100）进行染色。新生儿的松果体由紧密排列的深色有核细胞索（I型）组成，其间夹杂着排列疏松的大而透明的细胞（II型）。I型细胞常含有色素，偶尔可见玫瑰花结形成。它们S-100呈阳性，神经元特异性烯醇化酶呈阴性。II型细胞神经元特异性烯醇化酶呈强阳性，黑色素和S-100呈阴性。I型细胞是出生时的主要细胞类型；然而，II型细胞的数量随年龄逐渐增加，到1岁时，仅发现散在的S-100阳性细胞，与支持细胞一致。这些发现表明，人类松果体作为一个内分泌器官，在出生后的生命中经历了显著的形态和功能演变。
