title: Blastema cell proliferation in vitro: effects of limb amputation on the mitogenic activity of spinal cord extracts.
abstract: Primary cultures of mesenchymal cells of axolotl limb blastemas provide a very sensitive in vitro bioassay for studying nerve dependence of newt regeneration. These cells can be stimulated by crude spinal cord extracts of non-amputated animals in a dose-dependent manner up to 60 micrograms protein/ml of culture medium; at this concentration the mitotic index is increased 4-fold. Spinal cord extracts of axolotls 14 days after forelimb amputation (i.e., late bud stage) are more efficient in stimulating blastema cell proliferation (+50%) than extracts of axolotls 7 days after forelimb amputation (i.e., early bud stage) or of axolotls without amputation. In a similar manner, spinal cord extracts of young axolotls 14 days after forelimb amputation, are more stimulatory than older axolotls 14 d after forelimb amputation which regenerate only a very small blastema during the same time. It appears that spinal cord mitogenic activity is enhanced after limb amputation, probably in correlation with blastema cell requirements for limb regeneration.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Morphogenèse Animale, UA 685, Université des Sciences et Techniques de Lille, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Boilly
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Albert
mesh_terms: D000558:Ambystoma mexicanum; D000671:Amputation, Surgical; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005121:Extremities / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery; D008940:Mitotic Index; D012038:Regeneration; D013116:Spinal Cord; D014020:Tissue Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D014020:Tissue Extracts