[A critical study of the relations between superficial or profound electrical potentials and regeneration in...

It has been claimed that the action of the central and peripheral nervous systems on the regeneration process could be mediated through an electrical field which can be detected at the superficial limit of the animal tested. In this paper, it is demonstrated that superficial d. c. potentials detected on the skin of an amphibian are strickly correlated to the well-known skin ionic active transport mechanism and are quite independent of deep innervation. Moreover, reinforcing the deep electrical field through an amputated limb of a mammal (Wistar rat) doex not initiate regeneration, as has been claimed. We demonstrate that the insertion of d.c. generator does not significantly increase tritiated thymidine incorporation into the DNA of amputated animals as compared to control ones. Furthermore, wound healing proceeds in the same way in both groups. It is concluded that an electric field regeneration relationship remains to be demonstrated.