The Pineal Gland And Its Endocrine Role

The pineal gland has been a subject of interest and speculation for more than 2000 years. Greek anatomists were impressed by the ob servation that the pineal gland is an unpaired structure and they believed that it regulated the flow of thoughts. The philosopher Descartes proposed an important role for this organ in brain function. At the beginning of the 20th century experiments by several investi gators indicated that the pineal influenced sexual function and skin pigmentation and was also responsive to light signals. With the iso lation of melatonin from bovine pineal glands by Lerner and cowork ers in 1958 the modern era of pineal research was initiated. Within a few years the pathway for the biosynthesis of melatonin in the pineal was elucidated. Soon thereafter it was shown that the formation of melatonin was influenced by environmental lighting. Ana tomists found that the pineal was innervated by sympathetic nerves and that the gland had photoreceptor elements. It was also shown that the gonads were influenced by light via the pineal gland. Research on the pineal gland became of increasing interest to anatomists, bioche mists, pharmacologists and endocrinologists. With the expanding know ledge concerning the function of the pineal gland contributed by the wide variety of disciplines, it was thought that a study workshop would be timely.

Paperback. This book contains a state-of-the-art view of the field of pineal research. It focuses on the pineal itself as well as on its relationship to endocrine function and psychiatric disorder. The following issues are covered by experts in the field: regulation of the pineal gland and in particular its relationship to circadian rhythms, the role of the pineal gland in seasonal and non-seasonal reproduction, the role of the pineal gland in humans and mammalian physiology, abnormalities of the pineal gland in depressive illness, and brain targets for pineal actions.

The link between the pineal gland and cancer is a rapidly emerging research field due to promising experimental and clinical trials with melatonin. The pineal gland acts as a transducer of environmental light to regulate rhythmic processes, including reproductive function in seasonally breeding animals and the entrainment of circadian rhythms, such as the sleep-wake cycle, in man. This book elucidates the physiological significance of the pineal gland and surveys phenomena and mechanisms of pineal - tumor interaction at the neuroendocrine, neuroimmune, neural, and molecular levels. Yet unidentified low-molecular-weight pineal substances with tumor-inhibiting capacity, a possible involvement of melatonin in electromagnetic field effects on cancer, and the oncotherapeutic potential of melatonin are also addressed. The encouraging results should incite further research to elucidate the exact nature of the link between the pineal gland and cancer for the benefit of patients.

Hardbound. This book contains a state-of-the-art view of the field of pineal research. It focuses on the pineal itself as well as on its relationship to endocrine function and psychiatric disorder. The following issues are covered by experts in the field: regulation of the pineal gland and in particular its relationship to circadian rhythms, the role of the pineal gland in seasonal and non-seasonal reproduction, the role of the pineal gland in humans and mammalian physiology, abnormalities of the pineal gland in depressive illness, and brain targets for pineal actions.