Research on age-dependent changes in pineal activity has been limited almost exclusively to melatonin (MLT). This study determined, for the first time, the alterations occurring in the metabolic profile of MLT synthesis-related indoles during the post-embryonic development period in birds. Turkeys reared under a 12 h light/dark cycle were euthanized at 2 h intervals for 24 h at the ages of 2, 7, 14, and 28 days and 10, 20, 30, and 45 weeks. The results showed prominent changes in the metabolic profile of indoles during development and could be distinguished in four stages. The first stage, from hatching to the age of 2 weeks, was characterized by a decrease in the 5-hydroxytryptophan concentration and an increase in the concentrations of serotonin (5-HT), MLT, 5-methoxyindoleacetic acid, and 5-methoxytryptamine (5-MTAM). During the second stage, around the age of 1 month, the concentrations of N-acetylserotonin (NAS) and MLT reached a maximum. The synthesis and degradation of 5-HT were also the highest. The third stage, around the age of 10 weeks, was characterized by decreased levels of 5-HT (approximately 50%) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and a high level of 5-MTAM. The last stage, covering the age of 20 to 45 weeks, was characterized by a large decrease in the synthesis, content, and degradation of 5-HT. Despite these changes, there were no prominent differences in the nocturnal levels of NAS and MLT between the third and fourth stages. The concentrations of all tryptophan derivatives showed daily fluctuations until the age of 45 weeks.

The embryonic ontogeny of pineal secretory activity in birds has been investigated almost exclusively in chickens. This study aimed to characterize this process in domestic geese. The pineal organs of embryos aged 18–28 days were incubated in superfusion culture under different light conditions for 4–5 days and treated with norepinephrine (NE). Melatonin (MLT) was measured by radioimmunoassay and other indoles by HPLC with fluorescence detection. Additionally, pineal organs were collected from embryos at 14–28 days of age and used to measure catecholamines by HPLC with electrochemical detection. MLT secretion increased with embryo age, most intensively between the 22nd and 24th days of life. The daily changes in MLT secretion under the 12 L:12D cycle occurred on the first day of culture, starting from an embryonic age of 24 days. MLT secretion was controlled by the light-dark cycle in all age groups studied. However, exposure to light during the scotophase did not alter the secretion of MLT. The endogenous oscillator expressed its activity in regulating MLT secretion in the pineal organs of embryos aged 24 days and older but could not generate a rhythm after one cycle. The rhythm of 5-hydroxytryptophan release during the first day of culture was found in the pineal organs of all embryos, while the rhythmic release of N-acetylserotonin and 5-methoxyindole acetic acid started at the age of 24 days. The proportion of released indoles changed with embryo age. NE caused a decrease in MLT secretion and provoked an increase in serotonin release. Incubation of the pineal organs induced the development of MLT secretory machinery and its diurnal rhythmicity. The pineal content of catecholamines increased prominently at the end of embryonic development.

The European beaver is a herbivorous rodent whose diet changes seasonally, and in winter consists of large quantities of woody plants. It is distinguished among other mammals by a unique organization of the stomach that comprises the cardiogastric gland and by the unusual process of mucus formation in the gastric mucosa. The aim of study was to (i) characterize the structure of the beaver esophagus with particular attention to the mucosal epithelium; (ii) compare the histological structure of the esophagi collected in spring, summer, and winter; (iii) provide preliminary data on the structure of the esophagus in beaver fetuses. The study was conducted on esophagi of 18 adult beavers captured in Poland in April, August, and December, and on 3 fetal organs. The results obtained in adults show that the mucosa is lined with thick stratified squamous keratinized epithelium with a structure similar to that of the skin epidermis. Ultrastructural studies reveal the presence of multiple lamellar and non-lamellar bodies in granular cells, whose morphology and location gradually change while reaching the upper epithelial layers. The muscularis mucosa comprises a layer of longitudinally oriented bundles of smooth muscle cells. Both mucosa and submucosa do not comprise any glands. The thick muscularis externa consists mainly of internal circular and external longitudinal layers of striated muscle fibers. The keratinized layer of mucosa epithelium was 2-3-fold thicker in esophagi collected in winter than in those collected in spring and summer, while the epithelial cell layer thickness remained unchanged regardless of the season. Immunolabeling for proliferating cell nuclear antigen shows a higher index of epithelium proliferation in esophagi collected in winter than in spring and summer. No seasonal differences were noted in other layers of the esophagus. Fetal organs have epithelium covered with a keratinized layer, thinner than in adults, and the muscularis externa comprises both striated and smooth muscle cells.