Further observations on pineal brain sand formation and evolution in man.

Acervuli obtained from fragments of the human pineal glands of subjects of both sexes and age ranging from 23 to 87 years were analyzed by light microscopy after histochemical stains and by EDS-microanalysis. It was found that the sub-units and acervuli are positive to P.A.S., Alcian Blue pH 2.5, Gomori-Bargmann procedures for the presence of proteins, glycoproteins, proteoglycans and of the neurosecretory material in different layers of the sub-units and acervuli. We suppose that the increase of Mg++ in the sub-unit from the core to the periphery is responsible for the inhibition of following hydroxyapatite deposition and for growth. We suggest that the presence of glycoproteins and proteoglycans can represent the aggregation factor for bindings between disulphide bonds and calcium.