ELF magnetic control of axolotl metamorphosis inspired by administration of thyroid hormone

摘要

In recent studies using amphibious animals, it has been shown that exposures to extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields were able to affect amphibian metamorphosis [1]. On the other hand, it has not been considered how the exposures contribute to the thyroxine (T4)-induced metamorphic frequency of the Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum). The experimental applications utilizing axolotls must be favorable for a direct investigation with respect to aquatic-terrestrial transformations, because the axolotl has been the best understood “neoteny” which refers to a paedomorphosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of an ELF field on the forced metamorphosis of axolotls, which was induced with the thyroid hormone.