The role of the pineal gland in stress.

A short survey of the results of our previous research into the protective role of the pineal gland against stress is given. The neuroendocrine aspect of a chronic auditory stress and the neuroendocrine aspect of ulcer disease in man were studied. Auditory stress: hypertrophy and hyperplasia of pinealocytes, hyperplasia of the STH, FSH, LTH and TSH cells, hypertrophy of the nuclei and nucleoli of the neuroglandular cells of the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei, pronounced hyperplasia of the cells of the reticular zone of the adrenal gland, involution of the seminal epithelium, hyperplasia of the Leydig cells. Ulcer disease: numerous glial plates, cavities and acervuli in the pineal gland, numerous granules and vacuoles in the FSH cells, large and eccentrical nuclei in the LH cells, hyperplasia of the cells of the reticular zone of the adrenal gland, presence of the seminal tubules marked by signs of involution, hyperplasia of the Leydig cells. The results obtained point to the secretion of androgens and the insufficiency of the antiandrogenic function of the pineal gland both in auditory stress and ulcer disease. The anticancerogenic effect of the pineal gland would be based on its antiandrogenic function.