Histological structure of nerve fiber and blood vessels in regenerated tail of Tokay Gecko (Gekko gecko (Linnaeus, 1758)

Gekko gecko (Tokay Gecko, Tokek) has the ability to perform autotomy and regenerate its tail. There is not a lot of research that has been conducted on tail regeneration of G. gecko in Indonesia. Wound healing and regeneration methods in geckos are relatively similar to mammals, so geckos can be a biomedical research model suitable for regeneration research. Therefore, further research on the regeneration of tails using geckos needs to be done. The purpose of this research is to study the structure and development of nerve fibers and blood vessels in regenerated tail of G. Gecko. A total of 33 geckos were autotomized and then kept in a fiber plastic terrarium. Measurements of body weight and length were taken, and then 2 cm of the tail were taken from the tip of the autotomy on 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 28, 48, 56, 70, and 84 days after autotomy with three repetitions. Histological slides were made using the paraffin method after going through decalcification process to soften the bone tissue and stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin and Bodian's Gold Chloride staining. The structure and development of nerve fibers and blood vessels were observed descriptively and comparatively. The results showed the nerve fibers firstly appear on the 8 dpa regenerated tail and reach the highest number on the 16 dpa regenerated tail. Their number is subsequently decreasing afterward. Meanwhile, the number of blood vessels per field of view in the regenerated tail are decreasing after their first appearance on the 12 dpa, which has the greatest amount of blood vessels, and reach the lowest number on the 84 dpa. © 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.