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Quantitative and qualitative analysis of cadaveric human pinealocytes in various age groups
Ansa Rabia1, Mohammad Tahir, Bushra Munir
1Department of Anatomy, Combined Military Hospital, LMDC, Lahore.
Objective:
To determine age-related quantitative and qualitative changes in human pinealocytes using cadaveric material.
Study Design:
Analytical cross-sectional study.
Place And Duration Of Study:
The study was conducted in the Department of Anatomy, University of Health Sciences, Lahore, from January to December 2008.
Methodology:
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).
Conclusion:
The number and size of pinealocytes, and their nuclei remained unaltered with advancing age.
