THE ANALYSIS OF CELLULAR ELEMENTS IN COELOMIC FLUID OF THE STARFISH ASTERIAS RUBENS L. IN EARLY
REGENERATION TIME
A. B. Kozlova, O. A. Petukhova, G. P. Pinaev
Institute of Cytology RAS, St. Petersburg
Three main cell types were found in the coelomic fluid (CF) of intact starfishes: agranulocytes (55-80 %)
varying in size and form (spherical and ovoid) and with occasional pseudopodia, granulocytes (15-45 %), and small
cells (up to 2 %) with a high nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio. The starfish response to injury depends on the degree of
coelomic fluid loss. After a slight wounding, when only insignificant portion of CF is lost, the cellular
composition of circulating fluid changed only slightly. Unlike, a significant injury resulted in rising the share
of small cells, regarded presumably as young cells. Besides, after injury the functional characteristics of SF also
changed: the proportion of cells with decondensed chromatin and stained nucleoli increased, and coelomocytes
acquired ability to form nets at adhesion. Moreover, some new cell types can be found (fusiform cells), with
granulocyte proportion in nets increasing. We suppose that after slight wounding circulating coelomocytes may
restore from the existing store of differentiated cells beyond the circulation, whereas after significant injury
young undifferentiated coelomocytes are involved in the process of restoration.
Key words: Asterias rubens, coelomocytes, agranulocytes, granulocytes, small cell,
regeneration
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