Comparison of swallowing disorder in patients with tongue cancer undergoing reconstruction with either a radial forearm free flap or a submental island flap.

PURPOSE: In this study, the swallowing status of patients with tongue cancer undergone tongue reconstruction using radial forearm free flaps (RFFF) and submental flaps were compared. METHODS: A total of 26 patients with tongue cancer undergone tongue resection were randomly treated by tongue reconstruction with either submental flap or RFFF approach. Swallowing status of the patients was investigated using fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) by measurement of pharyngeal residue and penetration scales. RESULTS: The pharyngeal residue scale in vallecula and pyriform sinus and the average of vallecula and pyriform sinus on days 10 and 30 post-operation as well as penetration scale at the same time showed no significant difference between two groups. However, the time to start oral feeding was significantly reduced in the submental group compared to the free flap group (P = 0.031). A positive Pearson correlation was found between the size of oral tongue and base of tongue resection and some of swallowing parameters. CONCLUSION: Since there was no significant difference between submental and free flap respected to swallowing disorder, the submental flap is prior to free flap due to lower cost and hospitalization and less complication after tongue reconstruction.

Resveratrol promotes the arcuate nucleus architecture remodeling to produce more anorexigenic neurons in high-fat-diet-fed mice.

OBJECTIVE: Adult hypothalamic neurogenesis has been considered a central regulator of energy balance. Resveratrol (RSV), a natural polyphenol, influences the body fat mass and reduces the amount of adipose tissue. The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of RSV on dynamic of hypothalamic neurons in a diet-induced obesity model of mice. METHODS: Apoptosis, neurogenesis, the expression of the main trophic factors, and the fate of newborn cells were evaluated in the hypothalamus of adult male C57 BL/6 J mice fed a normal diet, a high-fat (HF) diet, or an HF diet supplemented with 400 mg/kg RSV (HF + RSV) for 6 wk. RESULTS: The HF diet caused an increase in neuronal apoptosis in the hypothalamus, which coincided with an increase in the number of newborn cells in the arcuate nucleus, suggesting that compensatory mechanisms developed to overcome deleterious effects of the HF diet. Addition of RSV to the HF diet enhanced the production of newborn cells in all studied regions of the hypothalamus. These changes were paralleled by enhancement of the expression of ciliary neurotrophic factor. Interestingly, a considerable proportion of newborn cells expressed neuropeptide Y in the arcuate nucleus of the HF group, and conversely, most of them differentiated to proopiomelanocortin neurons in HF + RSV mice. CONCLUSIONS: Diets rich in fat changed hypothalamic neuronal balance toward orexigenic versus anorexigenic neurons. Administration of RSV to the HF diet reversed this balance toward generation of anorexigenic neurons. These data point to the potential for RSV in regulation of body weight, possibly via modulation of hypothalamic neurogenesis.

Mechano-Transduction Signals Derived from Self-Assembling Peptide Nanofibers Containing Long Motif of Laminin Influence Neurogenesis in In-Vitro and In-Vivo.

Astroglial scaring and limited neurogenesis are two problematic issues in recovery of spinal cord injury (SCI). In the meantime, it seems that mechanical manipulations of scaffold to inhibit astroglial scarring and improve neurogenesis is worthy of value. In the present investigation, the effect of nanofiber (gel) concentration as a mechanical-stimuli in neurogenesis was investigated. Cell viability, membrane damage, and neural differentiation derived from endometrial stem cells encapsulated into self-assembling peptide nanofiber containing long motif of laminin were assessed. Then, two of their concentrations that had no significant difference of neural differentiation potential were selected for motor neuron investigation in SCI model of rat. MTT assay data showed that nanofibers at the concentrations of 0.125 and 0.25 % w/v induced higher and less cell viability than others, respectively, while cell viability derived from higher concentrations of 0.25 % w/v had ascending trend. Gene expression results showed that noggin along with laminin motif over-expressed TH gene and the absence of noggin or laminin motif did not in all concentrations. Bcl2 over-expression is concomitant with the decrease of nanofiber stiffness, NF+ cells increment, and astrogenesis inhibition and dark neuron decrement in SCI model. It seems that stiffness affects on Bcl2 gene expression and may through ß-Catenin/Wnt signaling pathway and BMP-4 inhibition decreases astrogenesis and improves neurogenesis. However, stiffness had a significant effect on upregulation of GFAP+ cells and motor neuron recovery in in vivo. It might be concluded that eventually there is a critical definitive point concentration that at less or higher than of it changes cell behavior and neural differentiation through different molecular pathways.

Comparison of Capability of Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Endometrial Stem Cells to Differentiate into Motor Neurons on Electrospun Poly(ε-caprolactone) Scaffold.

Human endometrial and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells can be differentiated into a number of cell lineages. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are potential candidates for cellular therapy. The differentiation of human bone marrow MSCs (hBM-MSCs) and endometrial stem cells (hEnSCs) into motor neuron-like cells has been rarely investigated previously; however, the comparison between these stem cells when they are differentiated into motor neuron-like cell is yet to be studied. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate and compare the capability of hBM-MSCs and hEnSCs cultured on tissue culture polystyrene (TCP) and poly ε-caprolactone (PCL) nanofibrous scaffold to differentiate into motor neuron-like cells in the presence of neural inductive molecules. Engineered hBM-MSCs and hEnSCs seeded on PCL nanofibrous scaffold were differentiated into beta-tubulin III, islet-1, Neurofilament-H (NF-H), HB9, Pax6, and choactase-positive motor neurons by immunostaining and real-time PCR, in response to the signaling molecules. The data obtained from PCR and immunostaining showed that the expression of motor neuron markers of both hBM-MSCs and hEnSCs differentiated cells on PCL scaffold are significantly higher than that of the control group. The expression of these markers in hEnSCs differentiated cells was higher than that in hBM-MSCs. However, this difference was not statistically significant. In conclusion, differentiated hBM-MSCs and hEnSCs on PCL can provide a suitable three-dimensional situation for neuronal survival and outgrowth for regeneration of the central nervous system. Both cells may be potential candidates for cellular therapy in motor neuron disorders. However, differentiation of hEnSCs into motor neuron-like cells was better than hBM-MSCs.

Survival, proliferation, and migration of human meningioma stem-like cells in a nanopeptide scaffold.

OBJECTIVES: In order to grow cells in a three-dimensional (3D) microenvironment, self-assembling peptides, such as PuraMatrix, have emerged with potential to mimic the extracellular matrix. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of the self-assembling peptide on the morphology, survival, proliferation rate, migration potential, and differentiation of human meningioma stem-like cells (hMgSCs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The efficacy of a novel method for placing hMgSCs in PuraMatrix (the injection approach) was compared to the encapsulation and surface plating methods. In addition, we designed a new method for measurement of migration distance in 3D cultivation of hMgSCs in PuraMatrix. RESULTS: Our results revealed that hMgSCs have the ability to form spheres in stem cell culture condition. These meningioma cells expressed GFAP, CD133, vimentin, and nestin. Using the injection method, a higher proliferation rate of the hMgSCs was observed after seven days of culture. Furthermore, the novel migration assay was able to measure the migration of a single cell alone in 3D environment. CONCLUSION: The results indicate the injection method as an efficient technique for culturing hMgSCs in PuraMatrix. Furthermore, the novel migration assay enables us to evaluate the migration of hMgSCs.