Students Teachers Patients Browse. Human body. Home Glands Pineal gland. Pineal gland The pineal gland is situated in the middle of the human brain and is the major site of the body's melatonin production. Alternative names for the pineal gland Pineal body; epiphysis cerebri; epiphysis Computer artwork of a sectioned human brain in side view, showing the pineal gland highlighted. Parathyroid glands. Pituitary gland.
Related Endocrine Conditions. Delayed puberty Precocious puberty Jet lag Circadian rhythm sleep disorders View all Endocrine conditions. Related Hormones. Human chorionic gonadotrophin Melatonin View all Hormones. One way to control the melatonin in your body is to use melatonin supplements. These will typically make you feel tired. Supplements may also help you fall asleep faster.
For most people, low-dose supplements of melatonin are safe for both short-term and long-term use. Typically, dosages range from 0. Speak to a doctor to see if melatonin is right for you and to learn which dosage is best. Additionally, melatonin may interact with the following medications and groups of medications:. Learn more: Can you take melatonin and birth control at the same time? A review looked at past research on the connection between melatonin and cardiovascular health.
Researchers found evidence that melatonin produced by the pineal gland can have a positive impact on your heart and blood pressure. They concluded that melatonin may be used to treat cardiovascular disease, though more research is needed. Reduced amounts of melatonin may also play a role in the development of irregular menstrual cycles. Studies are limited and often dated, so newer research is needed. The size of your pineal gland may indicate your risk for certain mood disorders.
One study suggests that a lower pineal gland volume may increase your risk of developing schizophrenia and other mood disorders. More research is needed to better understand the effect of pineal gland volume on mood disorders. Some research suggests that there may be a connection between impaired pineal gland function and cancer risk.
A recent study on rats found evidence that lowering pineal gland function through overexposure to light led to cellular damage and increased risk for colon cancer. Another study found evidence that, when used with traditional treatments, melatonin may improve the outlook for people with cancer. This may be especially true in people with more advanced tumors. More research is needed to determine how melatonin affects the production and blocking of tumors. If the pineal gland is impaired, it can lead to a hormone imbalance, which can affect other systems in your body.
For example, sleep patterns are often disrupted if the pineal gland is impaired. This can show up in disorders such as jet lag and insomnia. Additionally, because melatonin interacts with female hormones, complications may affect the menstrual cycle and fertility. The pineal gland is located near many other important structures, and it interacts heavily with blood and other fluids.
If you develop a pineal gland tumor, it may affect many other things in your body. Some early symptoms of a tumor include:. Talk to your doctor if you have a sleep disorder, or if you want to know more about taking melatonin supplements. We know melatonin plays a role in setting sleep patterns with day-night cycles. Other research suggests that it helps in other ways, such as in regulating the menstrual cycle.
Melatonin supplements may be helpful in managing sleep disorders, such as jet lag, and in helping you to fall asleep. Remember to speak with your doctor before using melatonin, especially if you take certain drugs. Go to sleep earlier. Incidence of normal pineal and chroids plexus calcification on brain CT computerized tomography at Tikur Anbessa teaching hospital Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Ethiop Med J. Microstructural analysis of pineal volume using trueFISP imaging. World J Radiol.
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Visualization of the faintly calcified pineal gland. Bojkowski CJ, Arendt J. Factors influencing urinary 6-sulphatoxymelatonin, a major melatonin metabolite, in normal human subjects. Clin Endocrinol. Age-related changes in the incidence of pineal gland calcification in Turkey: a prospective multicenter CT study.
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J Leukoc Biol. Injury switches melatonin production source from endocrine pineal to paracrine phagocytes - melatonin in human colostrum and colostrum phagocytes. Corticosterone modulates noradrenaline-induced melatonin synthesis through inhibition of nuclear factor kappa B. Effect of TNF-alpha on the melatonin synthetic pathway in the rat pineal gland: basis for a 'feedback' of the immune response on circadian timing.
Effect of leukocyte adhesion and microvascular permeability on capillary perfusion during ischemia-reperfusion injury in hamster cheek pouch. Int J Microcirc Clin Exp. Melatonin and N-acetylserotonin inhibit leukocyte rolling and adhesion to rat microcirculation.
Melatonin: buffering the immune system. Int J Mol Sci. Melatonin: a pleiotropic molecule regulating inflammation. Biochem Pharmacol. Melatonin synthesis in human colostrum mononuclear cells enhances dectinmediated phagocytosis by mononuclear cells.
Constitutive nuclear factor-kappa B activity is required for central neuron survival. J Neurosci. Stem Cells. Regrowing the adult brain: NF-kappaB controls functional circuit formation and tissue homeostasis in the dentate gyrus. Melatonin inhibits expression of the inducible isoform of nitric oxide synthase in murine macrophages: role of inhibition of NFkappaB activation. J Immunol. Influence of melatonin on cerebrovascular proinflammatory mediators expression and oxidative stress following subarachnoid hemorrhage in rabbits.
Mediat Inflamm. Melatonin counteracts the inhibitory effect of PGE2 on IL-2 production in human lymphocytes via its mt1 membrane receptor. Immune-pineal axis: nuclear factor kappaB NF-kB mediates the shift in the melatonin source from pinealocytes to immune competent cells. Life Sci. J Neuroimmunol. Zou J, Crews F. CREB and NF-kappaB transcription factors regulate sensitivity to excitotoxic and oxidative stress induced neuronal cell death. Cell Mol Neurobiol.
Melatonin effect on endothelial cells reduces vascular permeability increase induced by leukotriene B4. Melatonin inhibits endothelial nitric oxide production in vitro.
Endothelial cell adhesiveness is a function of environmental lighting and melatonin level. Role of melatonin in neurodegenerative diseases. Neurotox Res. Intensive Care Med Exp. Bidirectional communication between the pineal gland and the immune system. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. Melatoninergic system in Parkinson's disease: from neuroprotection to the management of motor and nonmotor symptoms. Oxidative Med Cell Longev. Putative role of monoamines in the antidepressant-like mechanism induced by striatal MT2 blockade.
Behav Brain Res. Amyloid beta peptide directly impairs pineal gland melatonin synthesis and melatonin receptor signaling through the ERK pathway.
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