Survey of spontaneous dystrophic mineralisation of pineal gland in ageing rats

The survey included 151 rats from several carcinogenicity studies up to 104 weeks and 260 rats from short-term studies up to 52 weeks. All studies were performed during the period 1990-1996. Young rats up to 52 weeks of age showed normal structural appearance, in 134 male rats the incidence of mineralisation was 6.3% and in 126 females the incidence was only slightly less at 5.6%. In ageing rats, 70-104 weeks, 88 males and 63 females showed far higher incidence of mineralisation, 83% and 57% respectively, showing that the incidence of mineralisation in ageing rats was higher in males than females. The focal mineralisation occurred mainly at the margin of the gland in the subcapsular region mostly adjacent to small blood vessels. On occasions these involved the parenchymal cells in the middle part of the gland. The focal mineralisation stained positive with von Kossa indicating presence of calcium and also with PAS (Pariodic Acid-Schiff method), indicating presence of neutral mucopolysaccharide. There was no evidence of positivity with Perl's stain (for ferric salts), Toluidine blue (for protein) or Alcian blue (for acid mucopolysaccharides). With Oil Red O there was evidence of presence of fat or lipid in pinealocytes.