Listening to speech recruits specific tongue motor synergies as revealed by transcranial magnetic stimulation and tissue-Doppler ultrasound imaging.

The activation of listener's motor system during speech processing was first demonstrated by the enhancement of electromyographic tongue potentials as evoked by single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over tongue motor cortex. This technique is, however, technically challenging and enables only a rather coarse measurement of this motor mirroring. Here, we applied TMS to listeners' tongue motor area in association with ultrasound tissue Doppler imaging to describe fine-grained tongue kinematic synergies evoked by passive listening to speech. Subjects listened to syllables requiring different patterns of dorso-ventral and antero-posterior movements (/ki/, /ko/, /ti/, /to/). Results show that passive listening to speech sounds evokes a pattern of motor synergies mirroring those occurring during speech production. Moreover, mirror motor synergies were more evident in those subjects showing good performances in discriminating speech in noise demonstrating a role of the speech-related mirror system in feed-forward processing the speaker's ongoing motor plan.

Effect of LED red and IR Photobiomodulation in tongue mast cells in Wistar rats: histological study.

OBJECTIVE: This article aimed to study the effect of LED Phototherapy (LED-PHT) (?630?nm or ?850?nm) on mast cells on the dorsum of the tongue of rodents. BACKGROUND DATA: Vasodilatation is one of the reported effects of laser light on tissues. Laser light is able to induce the release of mediators responsible for vasodilatation, such as those produced by mast cells. Mast cells are also related to some diseases such as hay fever. METHODS: Sixty Wistar rats were divided into three groups: I, Control; II, IR-LED (?850?nm, 21.9?J/cm(2), 73 sec; and III, red-LED (?630?nm, 21.9?J/cm(2), 73?sec). The specimens were taken after, 20, 45, and 60?min following irradiation. The specimens were routinely processed; stained with toluidine blue; and then total, degranulated, and non-degranulated mast cells were counted and statistical analysis performed. RESULTS: Both LED irradiated subjects showed significant difference when compared to the control subjects on the total number mast cells (p<0.001, ANOVA), degranulated mast cells (p<0.001, ANOVA), and non-degranulated mast cells (p<0.001, ANOVA). Comparing the two groups of LED irradiated subjects, significant difference was observed regarding the total number of cells (p<0.001, paired t-test) and degranulated mast cells (p<0.001, paired t-test) with a greater number of these cells noted in the IR-LED group. On the other hand, Red-LED irradiated subjects showed a significantly greater number of non-degranulated mast cells (p=0.001, paired t-test). CONCLUSIONS: Our results lead us to conclude that both red and IR-LED light caused increased mast cell degranulation and that IR-LED light resulted in a greater number of mast cells.

[Effect of modified huopo xialing decoction in treating pi-wei dampness-heat syndrome and its impact on the tongue epithelial cell apoptosis].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of modified Huopo Xialing Decoction (HXD) in treating patients of Pi-Wei dampness-heat syndrome (PWDHS) and its impact on epithelial cell apoptosis of tongue. METHODS: Fifty patients with PWDHD were randomized depending on their visiting sequence into two groups, the 30 patients in the treatment group treated with HXD and the 20 in the control group treated with Domperidone. The therapeutic course for both groups was 2 weeks. Besides, a normal control group consisting of 30 healthy volunteers was set up. The changes of tongue fur, grade of major syndromes in different groups were observed and scored before and after treatment to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness, and the apoptotic index (AI) was estimated using TUNEL technique. RESULTS: AI in the two patient groups before treatment was obviously lower than that in the normal group (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05); after treatment, AI in the treatment group increased significantly (P < 0.01), with no difference from that in the normal group (P > 0.05), while in the control group, it only showed a slight trend of increasing. Similar outcome of tongue fur grades was seen in the two groups, it was improved significantly (P < 0.01) in the treatment group but insignificantly in the control group (P > 0.05). After treatment, syndrome scores were both lower in the two groups (P < 0.01), but the decrement in the treatment group was more significant than that in the control group (P < 0.01). Comparison between groups showed that the total effective rate in the treatment group was significantly superior to that in the control group (90% vs 65%, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: HXD has good clinical efficacy in treating PWDHS, and has good effect in alleviating the greasy yellow tongue fur in patients with PWDHS by accelerating the tongue epithelial cell apoptosis.

Learning-related fine-scale specificity imaged in motor cortex circuits of behaving mice.

Cortical neurons form specific circuits, but the functional structure of this microarchitecture and its relation to behaviour are poorly understood. Two-photon calcium imaging can monitor activity of spatially defined neuronal ensembles in the mammalian cortex. Here we applied this technique to the motor cortex of mice performing a choice behaviour. Head-fixed mice were trained to lick in response to one of two odours, and to withhold licking for the other odour. Mice routinely showed significant learning within the first behavioural session and across sessions. Microstimulation and trans-synaptic tracing identified two non-overlapping candidate tongue motor cortical areas. Inactivating either area impaired voluntary licking. Imaging in layer 2/3 showed neurons with diverse response types in both areas. Activity in approximately half of the imaged neurons distinguished trial types associated with different actions. Many neurons showed modulation coinciding with or preceding the action, consistent with their involvement in motor control. Neurons with different response types were spatially intermingled. Nearby neurons (within approximately 150 mum) showed pronounced coincident activity. These temporal correlations increased with learning within and across behavioural sessions, specifically for neuron pairs with similar response types. We propose that correlated activity in specific ensembles of functionally related neurons is a signature of learning-related circuit plasticity. Our findings reveal a fine-scale and dynamic organization of the frontal cortex that probably underlies flexible behaviour.

Study on relationship between the thickness of tongue fur and the expressions of apoptosis-related genes of the tongue epithelial cells in patients with diseases of the digestive system.

To investigate the relationship between the thickness of tongue fur, apoptosis of the tongue fur epithelial cells and expressions of apoptosis-related genes in diseases of the digestive system, apoptosis-related genes TGF-beta3, fas mRNA and protein products were detected with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyurine triphosphate (d-UTP) nick-end labeling (TUNEL) technique, in situ hybridization, immunohistochemical methods, and image analysis technique, respectively. Results indicated that compared with the normal tongue fur, over-expression of fas gene was found in the peeling fur with an increase in cell apoptosis, while a low-expression of TGF-beta3 in the thick fur with a decrease in cell apoptosis. The changes in expression levels of fas and TGF-beta3 genes, apoptosis-promoting genes in the tongue fur epithelial cells, had a similar tendency of cell apoptosis level. It is concluded that the changes in expression levels of fas and TGF-beta3 are possibly important reasons influencing apoptosis of epithelial cells of tongue fur and leading to changes in thickness of the tongue fur.

Cytochrome P450 expression and activities in human tongue cells and their modulation by green tea extract.

The expression, inducibility, and activities of several cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes were investigated in a human tongue carcinoma cell model, CAL 27, and compared with the human liver model HepG2 cells. The modulation effects of green tea on various CYP isoforms in both cell lines were also examined. RT-PCR analysis of CAL 27 cells demonstrated constitutive expression of mRNA for CYPs 1A1, 1A2, 2C, 2E1, 2D6, and 4F3. The results were negative for CYP2A6, 2B6/7, 3A3/4, and 3A7. Both cell lines displayed identical expression and induction profiles for all of the isoforms examined in this study except 3A7 and 2B6/7, which were produced constitutively in HepG2 but not Cal-27 cells. CYP1A1 and 1A2 were both induced by treatment with beta-napthoflavone as indicated by RT-PCR and Western blotting, while CYP2C mRNA was upregulated by all-trans retinoic acid and farnesol. RT-PCR and Western blot analysis showed that the expressions of CYP1A1 and 1A2 were induced by green tea extract (GTE), which also caused an increase in mRNA for CYP2E1, CYP2D6, and CYP2C isoforms. The four tea catechins, EGC, EC, EGCG and ECG, applied to either HepG2 or Cal-27 cells at the concentration found in GTE failed to induce CYP1A1 or CYP1A2, as determined by RT-PCR. Of the isoforms that were apparently induced by GTE, only 7-ethoxycoumarin deethylase (ECOD) activity could be detected in CAL 27 or HepG2 cells. Interestingly, mRNA and protein for CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 were detected in both cell lines, and although protein and mRNA levels of CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 were increased by GTE, the observed ECOD activity in both cell lines was decreased.

Boron neutron capture therapy: effects of split dose and overall treatment time.

New clinical protocols are being developed that will entail the administration of considerably higher doses of the boron delivery agent boronophenylalanine (BPA) than those in current clinical use. Fractionation (2 or 4 fractions) of BPA mediated boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is also under consideration at some clinical centres. Given the considerably higher infusion volumes that will be entailed in the delivery of BPA in the new high dosage protocols, there will be a requirement to extend the gap between fractions to 2 or more days. In order to assess the effects of a 2 fraction protocol on the therapeutic efficacy of BPA mediated BNCT, a series of split dose irradiations (two equal fractions) were undertaken using the rat intracranially implanted 9L gliosarcoma model. A single dose exposure to BPA mediated BNCT of 3.0 Gy resulted in long term survival levels of 50%. Survival levels increased to 71% and 77% with a 3 and 5 day gap between dose fractions (two equal fractions), respectively, using the same total dose. A further increase in the time interval between dose fractions to 7 days resulted in a reduction in survival to 36%. However, there was no significant difference between the single dose and the 3, 5 and 7 day survival data (P > 0.1) The difference between the 5 and 7 day split dose survival data was of border-line significance (P = 0.05). It is anticipated that mucositis, could become a potential problem in future BNCT clinical protocols involving higher doses, larger field sizes or multiple fields. The potential sparing of the oral mucosa, due to repopulation during the interval between the two fractions, was investigated using a series of split dose BPA mediated BNC irradiations. The ventral surface of the rat tongue was utilised as a model for oral mucosa. The ED50 (50% incidence) values for the ulceration end point were 3.0+/-0.1, 3.2+/-0.1, 3.0+/-0.1 and 3.6+/-0.1 Gy, for 3, 5, 7 and 9 day splits between doses, respectively. It is evident from this data that there were no significant changes in the ED50 (p < 0.001) until the 9 day dose split, when the ED50 value was 20% higher than the ED50 value after a 7 day split. It was concluded that the two fraction BNCT protocol, with dose splits of up to 5 days, did not diminish the therapeutic response of the rat 9L gliosarcoma, when compared with a single dose BNCT protocol. Tolerance of the oral mucosa to BNC irradiation was not increased until there was a 9 day gap between fractions. However, the beneficial effects of dose sparing at this time interval between doses, would probably be counteracted by a reduction in the therapeutic effectiveness of the BNCT modality, due to repopulation of tumour clonogens between doses.

Chemopreventive effect of a xanthine oxidase inhibitor, 1'-acetoxychavicol acetate, on rat oral carcinogenesis.

The effect of a xanthine oxidase inhibitor, 1'-acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA), on 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4-NQO)-induced oral carcinogenesis was investigated in male F344 rats. All rats except those in the ACA-alone and untreated groups were given 4-NQO (20 ppm) In the drinking water for 8 weeks to induce oral cancer. Starting 1 week before the 4-NQO exposure, animals were fed diet containing 100 ppm or 500 ppm ACA for 10 weeks, followed by the basal diet without ACA for 22 weeks. Other groups were fed the diet containing ACA at 100 ppm or 500 ppm for 22 weeks, starting 1 week after the cessation of 4-NQO exposure. The remaining groups consisted of rats given 500 ppm ACA alone or untreated rats. At the termination of the experiment (32 weeks), the incidences of tongue neoplasms and preneoplastic lesions, polyamine levels in the tongue tissue, and cell proliferation activity estimated in terms of 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-labeling index and by morphometric analysis of silver-stained nucleolar organizer regions' protein (AgNORs) were compared among the groups. Feeding of ACA at the two doses during initiation or postinitiation significantly decreased the development of tongue carcinoma (93-100% reduction, P < 0.001) and preneoplasia (43-50% reduction for hyperplasia and 34-48% reduction for dysplasia, P < 0.05). There were no such lesions in rats fed ACA alone or those in the untreated control group. The number of AgNORs per cell nucleus was significantly decreased by feeding of ACA at a high dose (500 ppm) (29% inhibition, P < 0.05). The BrdU-labeling index was also reduced by dietary administration of ACA (23-32% inhibition, P < 0.01). In addition, ACA feeding reduced tongue polyamine levels (35-40% inhibition, P < 0.05). These results indicate that ACA inhibited rat oral carcinogenesis, and such inhibition might be related to suppression of cell proliferation in the oral mucosa by the xanthine oxidase inhibitor.

[Preliminary study of cytochemistry on thin-white coating of tongue with deficiency-cold syndrome].

The method of qualitative and quantitative analysis and localization of cytochemistry were used to observe the epithelial cells of the thin-white coating of tongue from 25 patients with Deficiency Cold Syndrome (DCS) and 20 normal persons. Results showed that the level of intracellular DNA, PAS of the epithelial cells in the DCS group were markedly enhanced, while the activities of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and acid alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase (ANAE) were reduced significantly compared to normal group, P < 0.05, 0.001, 0.001, 0.01 respectively.

Influence of tongue myoblasts on rat dissociated hypoglossal motoneurons in culture.

Hypoglossal motoneurons of 1-2 day-old newborn rats were retrogradely labelled following an injection of fluorescent latex microspheres and carbocyanines. Motoneurons were identified among the cell population of the hypoglossal nuclei during the dissociation and culture procedures. DiI labelled motoneurons could be maintained in culture on poly-L-lysine coating and Dulbecco Minimum Essential Medium with Ham F12 complement, supplemented with additives and 3% fetal calf serum. Neuronal survival as well as extension of neurites, identified by their content in DiI or by the presence of choline acetyltransferase immunoreactivity, was increased in the presence of myoblastic satellite cells originating from tongue muscular explants. Co-cultures of dissociated hypoglossal cells with tongue myoblasts revealed the presence, after 10-15 days in culture, of structures morphologically similar to neuromuscular junctions. Such re-innervated muscular fibres exhibited muscular contractions which were blocked by curare and augmented by glutamate applications, demonstrating the functionality of the observed re-innervations.

[Differential diagnosis in the preliminary evaluation of esterase responses of tongue coating cells].

The tongue coating cells were stained by Alpha-naphthol acetate esterase and naphthol AS-D chloroacetate esterase in 100 patients with different symptom-complex [five groups: dampheat, damp-heat due to blood stasis, Yin deficiency, Yang deficiency and Qi-blood deficiency] in view of TCM, and in 116 healthy persons. The responses of the epithelial cells of the tongue and the leukocytes to the two esterase stainings were observed. The results were: the number of nonspecific esterase was much higher in the patients, especially in the patients with Yin or Qi-blood deficiency, than that in the healthy persons (P less than 0.001); responses to ASDCE suggested that the leukocytes of the patients were different from those of the healthy persons in classification, more granulocytes in the healthy persons, and increased proportion of monocytes and lymphocytes in the patients, the most increased proportion of monocytes in the patients with Qi-blood deficiency and the most increased proportion of lymphocytes in the patients with Yang deficiency. The mechanisms of the different responses to the two esterase stainings in the patients and healthy persons, and the relationship between these mechanisms and the symptom-complexes by TCM were discussed.

Antagonistic effect of selenite on tumor promoter induced cell proliferation in cultures of rat tongue epithelium.

In cultures of rat tongue epithelial cells, cell proliferation following incubation with different doses of the potent tumor promoter TPA has been studied by using a stathmokinetic method counting colchicine arrested metaphases. It was demonstrated that 24 h incubation with concentrations higher than 5 ng TPA/mL medium caused inhibition, whereas below 5 ng TPA/mL medium caused stimulation of the mitotic activity reaching a maximum around 30 h from the start of the incubation period. Based on the evidence of the anticarcinogenic effect of selenium in several animal models, experiments have been performed elucidating the influence of an atoxic dose (1/1.000.000M) of selenite on the observed TPA-induced cell proliferation. Our results indicate that addition to the culture medium of an atoxic dose of selenite, not affecting the mitotic activity of control cultures, inhibits the TPA-induced stimulation of cell proliferation.

X-ray microanalysis of mast cells in rat's muscle.

Mast cells from rat's tongue muscles, fixed with glutaraldehyde only, were examined with an electron microscopic microanalyzer - the EMMA-4. With the preparatory method used, high emissions of a number of elements were obtained in various intracellular spots. The granules of mast cells were found to contain strictly localized high concentrations of sulphur, calcium and zinc.