Abstract
In recent publications 1 , 2 reviews have been given which point out that the best evidence of lens regeneration from the dorsal iris is limited to a small group of salamanders (Triturus). It is of interest to know whether or not all of the Triturus group possess this power of lens regeneration. Therefore the effect of lensectomy in Triturus torosus was investigated.
Stone and Sapir 2 reported that reimplanted lens tissue of the adult Triturus viridescens did not survive. Since the reimplant did not persist its inhibitory effect on lens regeneration could not be tested satisfactorily in their experiments. Therefore, in Triturus torosus the excised lens was reimplanted to test its capacity for survival. In case it did survive, any inhibitory effect on lens regeneration could be observed.
Lenses were completely removed in 100 eyes of Triturus torosus larvae ranging in length from 15 to 25 mm. For histological studies the animals were killed at close stages (2 to 50 days) after operation. The initial stages of lens regeneration were the thickening of the edge of the iris with subsequent depigmentation and separation of the cell layers. These three stages are distinct and progress at about the same rate of development. In all eyes fixed 5 days after operation the thickening of the dorsal iris was observed. At 7 days all specimens showed the first indication of slight depigmentation of the iris and from 9 to 14 days all eyes showed further depigmentation and separation of the cell layers of the dorsal iris. In cases fixed from 14 to 24 days after operation the regenerating lenses varied in developmental rate, especially in the formation of the fiber-forming pole.
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