The aim of this investigation was to study molluscan tissue regeneration, as exemplified by wound healing of the mantle edge in Arion hortensis, and to attempt an analysis of blastema formation. As a necessary preliminary the structure of the mantle edge was investigated. It consists of a glandular epithelial fold within which is a zone of connective tissue composed of a dorsal pigmented region, a median vascular region through which ramifies a lattice-work of smooth muscle fibres, and a ventral region containing a mat of muscle fibres. The structural and metabolic changes following wounding by excision were studied and where possible related. Immediately after wounding the undamaged muscle fibres adjacent to the wound contract and the meshes of the lattice close, thus temporarily constricting the blood sinuses and arresting bleeding. Wound closure is achieved initially by blood-cell agglutination and finally by coverage of the injured surface by the epithelial cells. Damaged tissue is removed from the wound by histolysis and phagocytosis. A blastema then forms at the injured surface; its cells grow, divide, and differentiate replacing the excised tissue. Differentiation begins in those regions adjacent to the uninjured tissue and extends into the rest of the blastema. Changes in the distribution of acid and alkaline phosphatase, ribonucleic acid, glycogen, and sulphydryl and disulphide groups were noted. The method of blastema formation was analysed by the following techniques: carmine marking of epithelial cells, tissue culture of isolated blastemata, and colchicine treatment of wounded animals. It was shown that both immigrant and indigenous cells contribute to the blastema, the majority of the blastema cells being immigrant. Epithelial and connective tissue components of the regenerate arise from immigrant cells while muscle tissue develops from indigenous material.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:703952 |
| Date | January 1965 |
| Creators | Dyson, Mary |
| Publisher | Royal Holloway, University of London |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://repository.royalholloway.ac.uk/items/3d9522ad-b5a0-490d-b10f-641f9faffba4/1/ |
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