THE EFFECT of PINEALOCTOMY on the DEVELOPING SUPERIOR Cervical GANGLION of the RAT

Abstract

Back ground: In the present study Pinealoctomy
was used to study the sympathetic innervations of
the pineal gland by the superior cervical ganglion
(SCG) of the albino rat.
Objective: Following Pinealoctomy, it is
expected to observe the Chromatolysis reaction in
some neurons of the SCG if they were to innervate
the pineal gland (i.e. retrograde Chromatolysis
changes).
Methods: Fifty albino rats were used in this study,
Pinealoctomy was done, then after a different time
interval ganglionectomy was done, in order to
study the Chromatolysis in their cell body.
Result: The present study has demonstrated that
the most obvious Chromatolysis reaction in the
neurons which innervate the pineal gland appeared
one day following Pinealoctomy in the young and
adult rats. In the SCG of animal, one week
following Pinealoctomy,
the number of the Chromatolysis neurons was
much less than these seen in the previously
mentioned one
day animals. In (2 – 6) weeks following
Pinealoctomy, the number of the Chromatolysis
neurons kept a constant decline.
Conclusion: The work presented in this study
showed that the method of tracing the innervations
of the pineal gland by removing the target tissue
(the pineal gland in this study) appeared to be
justified and conclusive.
It has also shown that younger animals, subjected
to Pinealoctomy, would react more vigorously with
respect to Chromatolysis than adult animals. The
present study has also demonstrate that the
distribution of these Chromatolysis neurons and for
all age groups all over the ganglion being
inspected. However they were more abundant in
the rostral 2/3 of these ganglions.