Time course of regeneration of minced frog muscles estimated by the level of energetic substrates.

1. Gastrocnemius muscles of frogs have been excised, chopped and put back into the leg. 2. The weight of the implanted muscles increases until the 8th day after the operation and then decreases to 1/3 of that of the control by the 30th day. 3. The inulin space is twice as high in regenerating muscle as in the unoperated controls. 4. Adenosine nucleotides are in an enzymatic equilibrium set by the ratio creatine/phosphorylcreatine during regeneration of the muscle. 5. Glycolytic intermediates (hexose monophosphate, fructose-1,6-diphosphate, alpha-glycerophosphate and lactate) have been measured during the course of muscle regeneration up to the 30th day. The results suggest that the glycolysis of regenerating muscle is very active. 6. The total creatine (sum of creatine and phosphorylcreatine) is very low after the operation: 5% of that of the controls; it rises sharply after the 8th day, and reaches 30% of that of the control on the 30th day. 7. The amount of total creatine seems proportional to the progress of the muscle regeneration. It is suggested to use this substance as a biochemical reference for biochemical works on muscle regeneration.