 BackResearch Article ScienceAsia 11 (1985): 015-030 |doi: 10.2306/scienceasia1513-1874.1985.11.015
THE PINEAL GLAND OF THE ADULT MALE SWAMP BUFFALO, BUBALUS BUBALIS: A LIGHT MICROSCOPIC STUDY
BOONSIRM WITHYACHUMNARNKUL,a SONGSUK KUANBHITAK,b WANTANEE TRAKULRUNGSI,a and ANCHALEE PONGSA-ASAWAPAIBOONaABSTRACT: The pineal glands of the adult bull, Bos indicus, and the adult male swamp buffalo, Bubalus bubalis, were processed by Bodian or silver impregnation method and Luxol Fast Blue-periodic acid-Shiff-hematoxylin method, and studied under light microscopy. Grossly, the buffalo pineal is about 1.5.times larger than the bull pineal, has lobulated surface and central corpora arenacea. Histologically, there is an abundant connective tissue trabeculae within the buffalo pipeal but very little within the bull pineal. Pineal parenchyma of the buffalo comprises primarily pinealocytes and glial cells; other components are nerve fibers, connective tissue cells, neuron-like cells, corpora arenacea, and specialized ependymal cells. The pinealocyte has characteristically spherical nucleus with prominent nucleous, and one or two cytoplasmic processes. The glial cell has oval-shaped nucleus. The nerve fibers are from two sources, one from nervi conarii and another from the epithalamus; both groups are distributed and terminated among pinealocyte processes, glial cell processes, and pericapillary spaces. The connective tissue cell has staining characteristics and morphology of the mast cell. Multipolar neuron-like cells were occasionally found. Specialized, elongated and ciliated ependymal cells line the pineal recess and contain dark granules at their apical processes. These morphological findings make the buffalo pineal distinguishable from the bull pineal. The presence of neuron-like cells and neural connection with the epithalamus pose a new evidence suggesting a possible parasympathetic innervation of the gland. a. Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand Received 7 September 1984
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