The effect of vitamin A on the regenerating axolotl limb.

These experiments describe further investigations into the effects of vitamin A on regenerating limbs. The effects of different retinoids, the time of administration, concentration of vitamin A and histological, autoradiographic and histochemical studies are reported. The most obvious result of vitamin A treatment is to cause proximal elements to regenerate from distal amputation levels, that is to cause serial reduplication of pattern in the proximodistal axis. Retinoic acid was the most potent of the analogues tested and longer times of administration or higher concentrations cause a greater amount of serial reduplication. Various tissue changes have been found which include the inhibition of cell division, loss of cartilage metachromasia, changes in the mucous-secreting properties of the epidermis and an increased packing in the blastemal cells. The significance of these cellular effects in relation to the pattern-formation changes is discussed.