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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.

The aim of the present paper is to study the electrophysiology of splanchnic gall bladder mechanoreceptors. The neurons unitary activity is recorded by means of glass extracellular microelectrodes implanted in the spinal ganglion (T6-L1). Two types of mechanoreceptors have been revealed by punctiform stimulations. 1. Muscular mechanoreceptors a) Slowly-adapting receptors, located in the whole biliary tract, sensitive to distension. b) Rapidly-adapting receptors, located in the gall bladder, recruited during the dynamic phases of stimulation. These receptors are connected with C fibers. II. Peritoneal Mechanoreceptors a) Pacinian corpuscles, located in the mesentery surrounding the biliary tract. b) Slowly-adapting receptors (movement receptors), located in the serosa of the gall bladder and the pericystic and pericholedochal peritoneum. Pacinian corpuscles are connected with A beta fibers, movement receptors with A gamma delta and B fibres.