Nerve interactions and regenerative processes occurring in newt limbs fused end-to-end☆

[摘要] Peripheralnerveinteractionsandregenerativephenomenawerestudiedinnewtforelimbsfusedendtoend.Aftersimplefusion,oneortwospikelikestructuresregeneratedattheplaneoffusionin88%ofthecases.Whenoneofthelimbswasdenervatedatthetimeoffusion,noregenerationoccurredfromtheplaneoffusion.Ifthelimbswerefusedandonewasamputatedattheshouldermorethan10daysafterfusion,regenerationfromtheamputationsurfacedidnotoccur.Whenthelimbswerereamputated30dayslater,regenerationofleftlimbsfromtheproximodistallyreversedrightlimbstumpsfollowed.Ifoneofthelimbswasdenervatedatthetimeoffusion,andamputationwassubsequentlycarriedoutthroughtheformerlydenervatedlimb,regenerationalwaystookplaceafterthefirstamputation.Onthebasisoftheseresultsitispostulatedthatwhenregeneratingnervesofoppositeproximodistalpolaritymeethead-on,themajorityoffibers,atleast,donotgrowintoterritoriesoccupiedbytheothernerve.Theseresultshavealsodemonstratedthatfulllimbregenerationcanoccuratagreaterdistancefromthemidlinethantheendofanormallimb.Theseexperimentsalsoprovideatechniqueforartificiallyelongatingperipheralnerves.

[学科分类] 生物科学（综合）