Effect of photoperiod on pineal gland volume and pinealocyte size in the Chinese hamster, Cricetulus griseus

Male adult (200-day-old) Chinese hamsters (Cricetulus griseus) raised from weaning under either LD 16:8 or LD 8:16 were used. The pineal gland of the Chinese hamster consists of superficial (major) and deep (minor) components and a continuous, or interrupted, narrow parenchymal stalk interposed between them. The volume of the superficial pineal including the parenchymal stalk is greater under LD 16:8 than under LD 8:16. Under both photoperiods, pinealocytes in the superficial pineal have larger nuclei and more abundant cytoplasm than those in the deep pineal. Nuclei in the superficial pineal appear pale and usually have irregular profiles, whereas those in the deep pineal appear dark and have round profiles. In the superficial pineal, pinealocyte nuclei are larger, paler, and more irregular; and, in addition, nuclear density is lower under LD 16:8 than under LD 8:16. Similar, but less prominent, photoperiod-induced changes occur in the volume of the deep pineal, the size of pinealocytes, and pinealocyte nuclear morphology in the deep pineal. The results indicate that the development and differentiation of pinealocytes in both pineal portions may be advanced under long photoperiods and delayed under short photoperiods, although pinealocytes in the deep pineal may remain not fully differentiated even in adults. Since testicular weights and body weights are similar under both photoperiods, the photoperiod may exert marked influences on the development of the pineal gland without affecting reproductive activity and growth rates of animals.