title: A possible role of collagen fibrils in the process of calcification observed in the capsule of the pineal gland in aging rats.
abstract: The relationship between collagen fibrils and calcified concretions exclusively appearing in the pineal gland of adult/aging rats has been investigated. Deposits of lanthanum, which replace calcium ions are distributed along collagen fibrils with a repeating period of about 70 nm. Calcium has been detected histochemically between collagen bundles surrounding extracellular concretions by means of the pyroantimonate method and by X-ray microanalysis. It is associated with phosphorus. The data presented here suggest that collagen fibrils are involved in the genesis and growth of extracellular concretions located in the connective tissue surrounding the pineal gland of aging rats.
authors.affiliation: CNRS-URA 1332, Neurobiologie des Fonctions Rythmiques et Saisonnières, Université Louis Pasteur, 12 Rue de l'Université, F-67000 Strasbourg, France. whumbert@neurochem.u-strasbg.fr
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Humbert
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cuisinier
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Voegel
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pévet
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002113:Calcification, Physiologic; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis; D003094:Collagen / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004577:Electron Probe Microanalysis; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D007811:Lanthanum / Q000378:metabolism; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D007811:Lanthanum; D003094:Collagen; D002118:Calcium