title: Quantitative and qualitative analysis of cadaveric human pinealocytes in various age groups.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine age-related quantitative and qualitative changes in human pinealocytes using cadaveric material.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analytical cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in the Department of Anatomy, University of Health Sciences, Lahore, from January to December 2008.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty pineal glands from human cadavers ranging from 16-80 years of age were collected from mortuary of King Edward Medical University, Lahore, using purposive non-probability sampling. These were divided into three different age groups: I, II and III each between 16 to 30, 31 to 45 and 46 to 80 years of age respectively. Pinealocytes were counted; their mean diameter and that of their nuclei was calculated from a total of 30 cells per slide, using 4 μm thick H and E stained histological sections. Mean ± S.E.M. was calculated for quantitative variables. One-way ANOVA was applied to observe group mean differences among three groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of pinealocytes decreased with aging but the difference was statistically insignificant when compared between groups (p=0.234). There was no change in size of pinealocyte soma and its nucleus (p=0.889 and 0.898 respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The number and size of pinealocytes, and their nuclei remained unaltered with advancing age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Combined Military Hospital, LMDC, Lahore.
authors.forename: Ansa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rabia
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tahir
authors.forename: Bushra
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Munir
authors.forename: Waqas
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sami
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D002102:Cadaver; D002452:Cell Count; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000166:cytology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult