ISSN:
0003-276X
Keywords:
Life and Medical Sciences
;
Cell & Developmental Biology
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
There is a widespread belief that innervation is an indispensible requirement for regeneration in salamander limbs. Several independent investigations have indicated that this view is too rigid. In this laboratory it was observed that regeneration proceeds in orbitally transplanted limbs, but the signs of innervation are few when the tissues are stained with ordinary histological procedures. The present study was conducted to find out if orbitally transplanted limbs do, in fact, possess nerve fibers and if their presence is, indeed, required for regeneration to proceed.Forelimbs of Amblystoma larvae were transplanted to the orbit. In one series, transplants were amputated two weeks after transplantation. Amputated segments were stained with protargol and revealed very few signs of innervation. Nevertheless, regeneration proceeded and reached a typical outcome within the usual time required for completion of the process normally. Full-term transplant regenerates exhibited innervation at levels of about one-third of normal values.In another series of experiments, limbs were subjected to distal amputation either before or shortly after transplantation. Regeneration proceeded normally in these experiments providing that the transplant was rapidly vascularized. When vascularization was delayed or failed, regeneration was retarded or did not occur at all.These findings, taken in light of those of other works, suggest that the function of nerves under ordinary conditions may be assumed by other tissues under circumstances produced by transplantation. This in turn suggests that nerves influence regeneration in a generalized manner and that the specificity ordinarily associated with them may be quantitative rather than qualitative in nature.
Additional Material:
3 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ar.1091520403
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