title: Effects of calcium antagonists and calcium-buffered salines on wound healing in Xenopus early embryos.
abstract: The role of calcium in the process of wound closure in Xenopus early embryos was studied. Embryos were wounded in the presence of the calcium antagonists D-600 and TMB-8 or in calcium-buffered salines, and the effects on wound healing were observed by scanning electron microscopy. D-600 and TMB-8 inhibit wound closure and these antagonists appear to act synergistically since their combined effect is greater than their individual effects. Experiments with calcium-buffered salines suggest that wound closure can proceed in the presence of low extracellular calcium. In all conditions there is a correlation between the degree of wound closure and the shapes of the cells at the wound margin; closing wounds are accompanied by cells elongated radial to the wound, gaping (non-closing) wounds are accompanied by cells stretched tangential to the wound. Thus the results suggest that calcium influx may not be a requirement for the changes in cell shape which accompany, and probably effect, wound closure in Xenopus early embryos.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002021:Buffers; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D005707:Gallic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005711:Gallopamil / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D014700:Verapamil / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*; D014981:Xenopus
chemical_list: D002021:Buffers; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D005711:Gallopamil; D012965:Sodium Chloride; C006014:8-(N,N-diethylamino)octyl-3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate; D005707:Gallic Acid; D014700:Verapamil; D002118:Calcium