Tongue, palatal, hyoid and pharyngeal muscle activity during chewing, swallowing, and respiration.

OBJECTIVE: Chewing, swallowing, and respiration are synchronized oropharyngeal functions. This study aimed to analyze the dynamics and coordination during natural chewing and swallowing in relation to respiratory phases. DESIGN: Eight oropharyngeal muscles in minipigs were recorded using electromyography, X-ray fluoroscopy, and nasopharyngeal dynamics. Chewing cycles and swallowing episodes were analyzed for timing and activity amplitude along respiratory cycles. Digastric and middle pharyngeal constrictor were used as zero-points for timing analysis in chewing cycles and swallowing episodes, respectively. The beginning of these cycles and episodes were used as the zero-point for timing analysis in respiration during feeding. RESULTS: The timing of jaw closing (57.8%) was longer than opening (42.2%) during chewing. Muscle activity occurred 20% later than digastric onsets and 15% earlier than jaw closing phase. Duration of muscle activity was shorter in ipsilateral than contralateral sides except for palatal muscles. Pharyngeal, palatal, and hyoid muscles showed longer durations than tongue muscles in jaw opening (p < 0.05). Palatal and hyoid muscles showed 2-phased activity in chewing while hyoid muscles showed higher amplitude in chewing and swallowing than other muscles. About 80% of the chewing cycles and swallowing episodes occurred in expiration. Nasopharyngeal airflow velocity increased from jaw opening to swallowing while airflow pressure decreased. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate key activity of palatal and pharyngeal muscles mostly in chewing. The respiratory cycle changes in chewing and swallowing simultaneously with the activation of the tongue, palatal, and pharyngeal muscles. These findings will be useful for further understanding the mechanisms in swallowing and breathing disorders.

Exogenous Antioxidants in Remyelination and Skeletal Muscle Recovery.

Inflammatory, oxidative, and autoimmune responses cause severe damage to the nervous system inducing loss of myelin layers or demyelination. Even though demyelination is not considered a direct cause of skeletal muscle disease there is extensive damage in skeletal muscles following demyelination and impaired innervation. In vitro and in vivo evidence using exogenous antioxidants in models of demyelination is showing improvements in myelin formation alongside skeletal muscle recovery. For instance, exogenous antioxidants such as EGCG stimulate nerve structure maintenance, activation of glial cells, and reduction of oxidative stress. Consequently, this evidence is also showing structural and functional recovery of impaired skeletal muscles due to demyelination. Exogenous antioxidants mostly target inflammatory pathways and stimulate remyelinating mechanisms that seem to induce skeletal muscle regeneration. Therefore, the aim of this review is to describe recent evidence related to the molecular mechanisms in nerve and skeletal muscle regeneration induced by exogenous antioxidants. This will be relevant to identifying further targets to improve treatments of neuromuscular demyelinating diseases.

Effect of niche components on masseter satellite cell differentiation on fibrin coatings.

In skeletal muscles, niche factors stimulate satellite cells to activate and induce muscle regeneration after injury. In vitro, matrigel is widely used for myoblast differentiation, however, is unsuitable for clinical applications. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze attachment and differentiation of satellite cells into myotubes on fibrin coatings with selected niche components. The attachment of satellite cells to fibrin alone and fibrin with niche components (laminin, collagen-IV, laminin-entactin complex [LEC]) were compared to matrigel. Only on matrigel and fibrin with LEC, Pax7-positive cells attached well. Then, LEC was selected to analyze proliferation, differentiation, and fusion indices. The proliferation index at day 1 on fibrin-LEC (22.5%, SD 9.1%) was similar to that on matrigel (30.8% [SD 11.1%]). The differentiation index on fibrin-LEC (28.7% [SD 6.1%] at day 5 and 32.8% [SD 6.7%] at day 7) was similar to that on matrigel (40.1% [5.1%] at day 5 and 27.1% [SD 4.3%] at day 7). On fibrin-LEC, the fusion index at day 9 (26.9% [SD 11.5%]) was similar to that on matrigel (25.5% [SD 4.7%]). Our results showed that the addition of LEC enhances the formation of myotubes on fibrin. Fibrin with LEC might be suitable to enhance muscle regeneration after surgery such as cleft palate repair and other muscle defects.

Image analysis of oxidative and glycolytic muscle fibers during reperfusion injury by segmentation based on regions / Análisis de imágenes de fibras musculares oxidativas y glucolíticas durante la reperfusión mediante segmentación basada en regiones

Different situations cause ischemia and reperfusion injury, affecting tissues under the level of compression. In this research, abnormal characteristics in distribution of muscle fibers types in soleus and extensor carpi radialis longus, during short periods of ischemia and short and long periods of reperfusion, were determined. Fibers were classified by enzyme histochemistry techniques NADH-TR and myosin-ATPase. Measurements of areas were carried out through semiautomatic image processing by using segmentation based on regions, which evidenced significant changes in distribution during reperfusion followed to one and three hours of ischemia, as well as in comparisons of areas for all periods of reperfusion. This study strengthens the evidence about using practical procedures of image analysis in the diagnosis of tisular abnormalities.

Diferentes situaciones causan isquemia y reperfusión afectando los tejidos que se encuentran por debajo del nivel de lesión. En esta investigación, se determinaron las características anormales en la distribución de los tipos de fibras musculares en los músculos sóleo y extensor radial longo del carpo, durante períodos cortos de isquemia y de reperfusión tanto cortos como prolongados. Las fibras se clasificaron mediante las técnicas de tinción de histoquímica enzimática NADH-TR y miosina-ATPasa. Las mediciones de las áreas realizadas mediante procesamiento de imágenes y el uso de la segmentación basada en regiones, evidenciaron cambios significativos en la distribución durante la reperfusión seguida a una y tres horas de isquemia, así como en las comparaciones para todos los períodos de reperfusión. Este estudio es un aporte en la evidencia sobre el uso de procedimientos prácticos de análisis de imágenes en el diagnóstico de alteraciones tisulares.

[Molecular mechanisms in vascular osteocartilaginous metaplasia: systematic review].

INTRODUCTION: The cartilage and bone metaplasia occurring in both the heart and blood vessels, are the result of risk factors or chronic diseases that gradually adversely affect the performance of a person in society; however, clinical signs are reversible in early and intermediate stages of alterations. OBJECTIVE: To establish how the molecular mechanisms underlying the increased vascular metaplastic changes and possible aspects of treatment and prevention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic review was performed by searching for articles indexed in PubMed, Scopus and Science Direct data from 1995 to 2015. The MeSH descriptors used were metaplasia and vascular calcification, which terms associated were molecular mechanisms, condrogenic and osteogenic. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Multiple factors influence the metaplastic change, especially the pro-inflammatory associated with vascular oxidation and the presence of free radicals; this development is reversible by treatment with antioxidants and changes in lifestyle and secondary prevention as there is a diagnosis of chronic degenerative disease. CONCLUSION: The literature evidences that factors that reduce the tissue oxidative stress and promote the maintenance of vascular phenotype are protective and / or reducing the osteochondral metaplastic formations.

Miocardiocitos conducentes ventriculares / Leading ventricular cardiomyocytes

Objetivo: Exponer las características histológicas y funcionales que se presentan en el tejido muscular estriado cardíaco especializado en la conducción del estímulo eléctrico y sus implicaciones actuales en las arritmias cardíacas. Materiales y métodos: Se seleccionaron publicaciones en revistas indexadas en las bases PubMed, Wiley, Ovid-Medline y Science Direct. Los descriptores MESH utilizados para la búsqueda fueron cardiac myocytes, myocardium, heart conduction system. Se acoplaron los conceptos histology y arrhythmia. Se revisaron artículos publicados entre 1990 a 2014, originales, reportes de caso y revisiones, relacionados con los conceptos de desarrollo embrionario, diferenciación celular, morfología normal y alteración de los miocardiocitos conducentes ventriculares. Se revisó el resumen de 317 artículos, de los que se clasificaron 75 para lectura completa y de estos, 52 se seleccionaron para la redacción del presente artículo. Conclusión: Los estudios actuales se encaminan hacia las simulaciones del sistema de conducción para establecer otras causas de arritmia y opciones de tratamiento. La terapia con células indiferenciadas y las técnicas moleculares de modificación genética hacen parte de estos estudios, así como la implementación de terapias alternativas no invasivas en el tratamiento de las arritmias cardíacas.

Objective: To expose the histological and functional characteristics that occur in heart striated muscle tissue specialized in the conduction of electrical stimulation and its current implications for cardiac arrhythmias. Materials and methods: Publications in indexed journals in PubMed, Wiley, Ovid-Medline and Science Direct databases were selected. The MESH descriptors used for the search were cardiac myocytes, myocardium and heart conduction system. The concepts of histology and arrhythmia were mated. Articles published from 1990 to 2014 were reviewed as well as the original ones, case reports and reviews related to the concepts of embryonic development, cell differentiation and normal morphology alteration of the leading ventricular cardiomyocytes. The summary of 317 articles were read, from which 75 were classified to complete reading and finally 52 were selected for the drafting of this article. Conclusion: Current studies are directed towards the driving system simulation to establish other causes of arrhythmia and its treatment options. Not only therapies with undifferentiated cells and molecular genetic modification techniques are part of these studies but also the implementation of alternative therapies that are not invasive in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias.