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Piezoelectricity in the human pineal gland

Article  in  Bioelectrochemistry and Bioenergetics · December 1996

DOI: 10.1016/S0302-4598(96)05147-1

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1 S.B. Lang et al./Bioclectrochemistry and Bioenergetics 41(1996)191—195

Piezoelectricity in the human pineal gland

Sidney B. Lang a,*, Andrew A. Marino b, Garry Berkovic C, Marjorie Fowler d,
Kenneth D. Abreo e
a Department of Chemical Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84105 Beer Sheva, Israel
b Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, LSU Medical Center, Shreveport, L4 71103, USA
c Department of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel
d Department of Pathology, LSU Medical Center, Shreveport, IA 71103, USA
e Department of Medicine, Nephrology Section, LSU Medical Center, Shreveport, LA 71103, USA

Received 7 July 1996; accepted 16 August 1996

Abstract

Melatonin secretion by the pineal gland has been reported to be affected by exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs). In an initial investigation to
determine if calcifications commonly found in the pineal gland could respond to EMFs by a transducer mechanism, studies were conducted to ascertain if
pineal tissues were piezoelectric. Second harmonic generation (SHG) measurements showed that pineal tissues contained noncentrosymmetric crystals, thus
proving the presence of piezoelectricity. Both mulberry-like and faceted crystalline calcifications were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
Some of the calcifications had compositions similar to that of hydroxyapatite; others contained a high concentration of aluminum.

Keywords: Aluminum; Calcification; Crystals; Electromagnetic fields; Scanning electron microscopy (SEM); Second harmonic generation (SHG)

1. Introduction Piezoelectricity is a third-rank tensorial property exhib-

ited by members of the 20 noncentrosymmetric crystal
There is evidence that melatonin secretion by the pineal point groups [7]. (In addition, a 21st point group 432 is
gland is affected by exposure to electromagnetic fields also noncentrosymmetric but its members are not piezo-
(EMFs) [1], but the mechanism by which the EMF is electric because of the presence of other elements of
converted into intracellular second messengers that regu- crystallographic symmetry.) In the direct piezoelectric ef-
late melatonin gene expression is unknown. The pineal fect, an elastic stress gives rise to a voltage; in the converse
contains unusual calcified deposits that are chemically effect, an applied voltage results in elastic strain. If the
similar to bone mineral [2], and it occurred to us that the pineal calcifications were piezoelectric, they could produce
presence of calcifications and the sensitivity of the pineal a surface charge distribution and a strain by virtue of the
to EMFs might be related. interaction of the direct and the converse piezoelectric
Pineal calcifications occur in subjects of any age [3], effects whenever a subject was exposed to an appropriate
but apparently in amounts that are relatively independent EMF. In principle, either the electrical or mechanical
of age [4]. Neither the mechanism of formation nor the changes could trigger intracellular second messengers that
physiological significance of pineal calcifications are regulate the metabolism of pinealocytes.
known [5]. There is microscopic evidence of an intimate The principal objective of this research was to deter-
association between the calcifications and cellular mem- mine whether the calcifications present in the human pineal
branes [6]. Pineal calcifications have been given numerous gland were piezoelectric. The classical methods for mea-
names in the literature, including corpora arenacea, ac- suring piezoelectricity [8,9] are not suitable for examina-
ervuli, psammoma bodies and brain sand [6]. tion of specimens containing small piezoelectric crystals
dispersed in a nonpiezoelectric material. Consequently, an
alternative technique that would detect noncentrosymmetry
was selected: second harmonic generation (SHG) [10,11].
* Corresponding author.
192 S.B. Lang et al./Bioclectrochemistry and Bioenergetics 41(1996)191—195

A positive SHG response is proof of the presence of tional cadavers were fixed in buffered formalin and then
piezoelectric crystals. ashed at 2000C for 2 h. The resulting material (about 50
mg) was analyzed by SHG, X-ray diffraction, and SEM.
Because the samples were opaque or only slightly
2. Experimental methods translucent, SHG measurements were made in a reflection
mode (at approximately 45° incidence). No detectable SHG
In the technique of SHG, a sufficiently intense light was observed from the glass cover slides, as evidenced by
wave of frequency ω is focused on a crystal. If the crystal is blank measurements without a sample. In an experiment,
noncentrosymmetric, the electric field of the light wave the laser was focused at an arbitrary point on the surface of
induces a polarization at twice the incident frequency a sample with the monochromator window at one of the
causing the crystal to emit light at double the frequency or settings, 532 nm, above 532 nm (540—550) or below 532
half the wavelength. Kurtz and Dougherty [11] have pre- nm (510—520). Sets of 200 laser pulses were produced
sented a statistical analysis for the sensitivity of SHG in several times for each window setting. Then the laser beam
determination of noncentrosymmetry in powders. impingement point was moved to another arbitrary
The SHG detection technique used in our studies was as location.
follows. The beam from a pulsed neodymium YAG laser After the SHG measurements, a conductive gold coating
emitting 15 ns pulses of approximately 4 mJ energy at a was evaporated on some of the samples and they were
wavelength of 1064 nm was focused to a diameter of about examined by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) using
500 µm on the sample. An absorption filter was used to a 25 kV beam voltage. Crystals and crystal-like regions
remove the 1064 nm component from the radiation re- were studied. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS)
flected from the sample. The remaining radiation passed was used for a quantitative analysis of chemical elements
through a monochromator and then was analyzed by a high with an atomic number of 11 or greater.
gain photomultiplier with photon counting sensitivity. Inci- X-ray diffraction and atomic absorption studies were
dent photons were counted for 200 pulses of the laser. carried out using conventional techniques.
When the monochromator was set with a 532-nm window,
both SHG and any spurious background signal (which may
originate from instrument noise, luminescence, or ther- 3. Results
mally excited processes) would be measured. The back-
ground contribution was determined by measurement with The results of the SHG measurements on the tissues
the monochromator set at a wavelength either 15—20 nm from Subject 1 are illustrated in Fig. 1, and the results on
above or below the SHG wavelength. Thus the ratio of the tissues from all of the subjects are shown in Fig. 2. The
photon counts at 532 nm to that at nearby wavelengths following criteria were used to determine if SHG was
formed a signal-to-noise ratio. In addition, signals propor- observed at a specific location in a sample: (1) the number
tional to the intensity of both the incident 1064-nm radia- of photon counts for 200 laser pulses was greater than 10
tion and the detected radiation were displayed on a dual- and, (2) the number of photon counts with the monochro-
beam oscilloscope. If the detected radiation was not coinci- mator set at 532 nm was statistically significant compared
dent in time with the incident radiation (with resolution of
approximately 10 ns), it was assumed that thermal pro-
cesses, which were significantly slower than those due to
SHG, were being observed. The functioning of the SHG
system was checked prior to each set of experiments using
a sample of powdered urea which gives a very large SHG
signal (measured at about 3 x l05 photon counts per 200
laser pulses).
All SHG measurements were made on pineal glands
from six human cadavers of both sexes, 45—78 years of
age. In most instances, regions of the pituitary gland, the
cortex and the cerebellum were also measured as controls.
The tissues were fixed in absolute alcohol (except in
buffered formalin, in one case), sliced using a scalpel,
placed on glass slides with a cover slip, and air-dried under
slight pressure. The resulting preparations were 100—300
µm thick. For atomic absorption determinations of alu-
minum, the tissues from four cadavers were frozen at Fig. 1. SHG measurements on tissues from Subject I. Different measure-
ment locations are designated by letters in the abscissa. The ordinates give
—700C until analyzed. To determine the thermal stability
the number of photon counts detected by the photomultiplier during the
of pineal crystals, the entire pineal glands from five addi operating period of the laser.
 SB. Lang et al./Bioelectrochemistry and Bioenergetics 41(1996)191—195 193

Fig. 3. SEM photograph of the mulberry-like structures in the pineal

gland.

all of the tissue samples from a given organ type for a

specific subject. The total number of measurements used in
calculating the mean is shown by the number printed on the
bar. The unfilled bars indicate the pulses measured when
the monochromator was set at 532 nm and the shaded bars
show the pulses for settings 10—15 nm above or below
532 nm. An unpaired Student’s t-test was used to
determine if the means of the number of pulses detected at
the 532-nm SHG wavelength differed from the number
detected at other wavelengths. A box around the sample
designator denotes a statistically significant difference (P
<0.05, t-test). It should be noted that the ordinates are
logarithmic scales. This is necessary to show the data
Fig. 2. SHG results on all of the available tissues from all of the subjects.
clearly but it makes it difficult to judge statistical signifi-
The numbers in the abscissa identify the subjects. The ordinates give the
number of SHG photon counts detected by the photomultiplier during the cance by a qualitative visual assessment.
operating period of the laser. The numbers printed on the bars are the total Statistically significant levels of SHO were found in all
number of measurements used in calculating the means. Other details of six pineal samples; three of the five pituitary, one of the
the figure are given in the text. four cortex and one of the five cerebellum also showed
SHG at significant levels.
Four of the pineal samples were examined using SEM
with the number of counts detected at other wavelengths
and three different types of crystalline structures were
(based on an unpaired Student’s t-test at the P < 0.05 level).
observed. Fig. 3 shows the mulberry-like structures ob-
Fig. 1 shows multiple measurements at different arbi-
trarily selected locations on tissues from Subject 1. The served by others [6,12—14]. EDS analysis of these struc-
tures gave Ca/P ratios of 1.8 to 1.9, somewhat higher than
different measurement locations are designated by letters in
the abscissa. The ordinate is a logarithmic scale which those observed by Bocchi and Valdre [5]. The second type
gives the number of SHG photon counts detected by the
photomultiplier during 200 laser pulses. The number of
photon counts at 532 nm are shown by open symbols and
the numbers in the 515—520 and 540—550 nm windows
by filled symbols. According to the criteria stated above,
SHG was observed at a number of locations in the pineal
tissue, but at no location in the other three types of tissues.
Fig. 2 illustrates SHG measurements on tissues from all
six subjects. The numbers in the abscissa are the identifica-
tion numbers of the subjects. Pineal tissues from all six
subjects were examined, but some of the other tissues were
not available for all of the subjects. The ordinates give the
number of photon counts detected by the photomultiplier

during the operating period of the laser. The bars show the Fig. 4. SEM photograph of the faceted crystalline structures in pineal
mean + standard deviation (SD) of the photon counts on glands.
194 SB. Lang et al./Bioelectrochemistry and Bioenergetics 41(1996)191—195

atomic absorption measurements were made on brain tis-

sues from additional subjects to confirm the initial obser-
vations. The same four types of tissues from different
sources were examined. The results are shown in Fig. 6.
The concentrations of aluminum in the pineal gland are
markedly higher than in the other tissues.

4. Discussion

The SHG results show that the pineal gland definitely

contains noncentrosymmetric material which, according to
crystallographic symmetry considerations [7], is piezoelec-
Fig. 5. SEM photograph of the faceted crystalline structures with unusual tric. SHG detection does not permit determination of quan-
compositions in pineal glands.
titative piezoelectric and other material constants. Piezo-
electric crystals were detected throughout the human pineal
resembled faceted single crystals (Fig. 4), a structure not gland (Fig. 1) in all subjects examined (Fig. 2).
reported previously. The large dimensions of these crystals The variation in the magnitude of the SHG responses
were in the range 3—15 µm. Ca/P ratios were about 1.7, (Fig. 1) is due to the nonuniform crystal distribution and
similar to those observed in bone hydroxyapatite [15]. variation in crystal size. A single crystal of a noncen-
Crystals with unusual compositions were observed in trosymmetric material will show SHG, the magnitude of
some of the pineal gland tissues. An SEM photograph of which depends on the crystal composition and size, and the
one is shown in Fig. 5. The composition of the long crystal alignment of the crystal axes to the laser beam [11,16]. If a
in the center of the photograph was: 3.4% Al, 32.9% Si, pure noncentrosymmetric powder specimen is examined,
1.3% Cl, 10.4% K, 2.5% Ti and 9.5% Zn (calculated on an the large number of grains and the randomness of their
atomic basis and only including elements with an atomic sizes and orientations with respect to the laser beam will
number greater than 11). In particular, the aluminum was ensure that an average SHG signal will be observed from
unexpected. different positions in the sample. In the biological tissues
Three pituitary tissues and one each of cortex and studied, the number of crystals in any area which is the size
cerebellum were examined with SEM, but no crystalline of the laser spot was low, their crystal sizes were small and
materials were found with the exception of one crystal in a relatively few crystals were properly aligned to give an
pituitary sample. SHG signal. These factors resulted in considerable
No SHG was observed in the ashed pineal material. X- variation in SHG magnitude from point to point. A large
ray diffraction analyses showed that the material was variation often occurred when the laser beam impingement
completely amorphous suggesting that the crystalline struc- point was moved only a few micrometers, a consequence
tures which produce SHG were destroyed by heating. EDS of the small size of the crystals.
analyses yielded compositions of 5.3—8.0 at% Al, 29.8— Significant SHG responses were observed in five of 14
31.4 at% P, 6.7—14.9 at% S and 48.4—55.5 at% Ca. non-pineal tissues examined (Fig. 2). The observed fre-
Because of the unusually high levels of aluminum in the quency appears to be too high to be accounted for on a
crystals shown in Fig. 5 and in the ashed pineal material, statistical basis (failure to control for a familywise error),
but the issue was not resolved in this study. We could not
conclude, therefore, whether piezoelectricity also occurs in
nonpineal tissue. We did find, however, that piezoelectric-
ity was significantly more likely in the pineal gland,
compared with nonpineal tissue (6/6 compared with 5/14, P
< 0.05, Fisher’s exact test).
There were at least three classes of crystals observed in
the SEM that might have been the source of the SHG
response: (a) mulberry-like calcifications (Fig. 3); (b) non-
mulberry-like calcifications having a Ca/P ratio of 1.7—1.9
(Fig. 4); (c) noncalcium-containing crystals (Fig. 5). It is
also possible that the SHG response was produced by small
Fig. 6. Aluminum contents of brain tissues (mean ± SD). The results are crystals located below the surface in the SEM views, but
expressed per unit weight of dried tissues. Four samples of each tissue which were accessible to the laser beam during the SHG
were examined.
determinations. The first two kinds of crystals are
chemically similar to bone mineral, which is not piezoelec
 [2] C.P. Mabie and B.M. Wallace, Optical, physical and chemical
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59—71.
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