Anderson K D, Turek F W
J Pineal Res. 1985;2(2):99-107. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-079x.1985.tb00631.x.
Removal of the superficial pineal gland prevents testicular regression from occurring in golden hamsters exposed to a short-day photoperiod, but to date no studies have examined the role of the deep pineal gland in the photoperiodic control of gonadal function. We investigated the role of the deep pineal gland in this process by monitoring testicular size in hamsters with an electrolytic lesion of the deep pineal gland. Sexually mature hamsters that had been sham-lesioned or that had received a lesion aimed at the deep pineal gland were transferred from 14L:10D to 6L:18D or were maintained in 14L:10D for 73 d. Testicular widths were determined at 2-3-wk intervals and after 73 d the testes were removed and weighed. The mean testis widths of the seven animals with histologically confirmed deep pineal lesions and exposed to 14L:10D remained large, similar to those of the sham-operated control animals exposed to the same photoperiod. The testes regressed in the five animals with confirmed deep pineal lesions and exposed to 6L:18D in a similar manner to those of the sham-operated control animals exposed to the same photoperiod. No significant difference (P greater than .05) was found between the testicular weights of lesioned and unlesioned animals exposed to either photoperiod. The lack of a significant effect of a deep pineal lesion on testicular size demonstrates that this portion of the pineal complex is not required for normal regulation of testicular function by photoperiod. These results also suggest that nerve fibres projecting from the brain to the superficial pineal gland via the deep pineal gland are not involved in photoperiodic regulation of testicular function.
切除松果体浅层可防止暴露于短日照光周期的金黄仓鼠出现睾丸退化，但迄今为止，尚无研究探讨松果体深层在性腺功能光周期控制中的作用。我们通过监测松果体深层电解损伤仓鼠的睾丸大小，研究了松果体深层在此过程中的作用。将接受假手术或松果体深层损伤的性成熟仓鼠从14小时光照：10小时黑暗（14L:10D）转移到6小时光照：18小时黑暗（6L:18D），或在14L:10D条件下饲养73天。每隔2 - 3周测定睾丸宽度，73天后取出睾丸称重。七只组织学证实松果体深层有损伤且暴露于14L:10D的动物，其平均睾丸宽度仍然较大，与暴露于相同光周期的假手术对照动物相似。五只证实松果体深层有损伤且暴露于6L:18D的动物，其睾丸以与暴露于相同光周期的假手术对照动物相似的方式退化。暴露于任一光周期的损伤组和未损伤组动物的睾丸重量之间均未发现显著差异（P大于0.05）。松果体深层损伤对睾丸大小缺乏显著影响，表明松果体复合体的这一部分对于光周期对睾丸功能的正常调节并非必需。这些结果还表明，从大脑经松果体深层投射到松果体浅层的神经纤维不参与睾丸功能的光周期调节。
