Diane M Bless

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: When the lamina propria of the vocal fold is replaced by fibrosis after wound healing, it is difficult to restore an appropriate viscoelasticity of the vocal fold. To treat fibrotic scarring, material that reduces collagen deposition and increases soft amorphous substances, such as hyaluronic acid, is required. The potential use of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is intriguing. In this study, the authors examined canine vocal fold fibroblasts to determine how HGF ...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Vocal fold scarring disrupts the layer structure of the vocal fold lamina propria that is essential for optimal mucosal vibration. Prevention of vocal fold scarring remains challenging. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has strong antifibrotic activity. The authors' previous studies have found that HGF stimulates hyaluronic acid production and suppresses collagen production from vocal fold fibroblasts, suggesting that HGF has therapeutic potential in prevention of ...

Vocal fold scarring remains a therapeutic challenge. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has strong antifibrotic activity and has proved to have therapeutic potential in restoration of scar tissues such as liver cirrhosis and lung fibrosis. The present study aimed to clarify the effects of HGF injection into scarred vocal folds in a canine model. Canine vocal folds were stripped unilaterally and treated with intracordal injection of saline solution (sham group), HGF (HGF group), or HGF with ...

OBJECTIVES: Vocal fold scarring is the major cause of voice disorders after voice surgery or laryngeal trauma. The role of inflammatory factors in vocal fold wound healing and fibrosis has not been adequately investigated. Scarless wound healing has been associated with decreased inflammatory responses. To understand scar formation and develop reliable treatments, it is necessary to control extracellular matrix production and inflammation. Thus, we examined the inflammation profile and ...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: It has been reported that in aged vocal folds, dense collagen deposition takes place and hyaluronic acid decreases in the lamina propria, which are thought to contribute to the vocal problems occurring with age (presbyphonia). To restore aged vocal folds to their younger state, it seems crucial to address these age-related lamina propria changes. Intervention that might increase hyaluronic acid and decrease collagen would appear to be a potentially useful approach. ...

PURPOSE: To develop and evaluate a rat excised larynx model for the measurement of acoustic, aerodynamic, and vocal fold vibratory changes resulting from vocal fold scar.

METHOD: Twenty-four 4-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to 1 of 4 experimental groups: chronic vocal fold scar, chronic vocal fold scar treated with 100-ng basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), chronic vocal fold scar treated with saline (sham treatment), and unscarred untreated control. Following tissue ...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: The objective was to measure the level of hyaluronan during the first 15 days after vocal fold biopsy in a rabbit model.

STUDY DESIGN: Experimental, nonrandomized prospective study.

METHODS: Twenty-eight rabbits underwent unilateral vocal fold biopsy. The contralateral vocal fold was preserved as a control sample. On days 3, 5, 10, and 15 after biopsy, hyaluronan levels in the injured and normal vocal folds were measured immunohistologically and with an ELISA ...

The purpose of the current study was to assess the histologic and rheologic properties of the scarred vocal fold lamina propria during a chronic phase of wound repair in a rabbit model. Eighteen rabbit larynges were scarred using a procedure that involved stripping the vocal fold lamina propria down to the thyroarytenoid muscle, using 3-mm microforceps. The approximate dimension of injury to the vocal fold was 3 x 1.5 x 0.5 mm [length x width x depth]. At 6 months postoperatively, ...

OBJECTIVE: To examine the expressions of fibronectin and other adhesion molecules on the scarred vocal folds in a short- and long-term animal model.

STUDY DESIGN: Animal model.

METHODS: Six beagles' vocal folds were stripped unilaterally and left untreated. After wounding the vocal folds were harvested from three dogs at 2 months and three dogs at 6 months. The untouched vocal fold was used as a control, and the stripped vocal fold as scarred. Subsequently, the expressions of ...

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to quantify disorder-specific signature kinematic disturbances of vibratory motion in adductor spasmodic dysphonia (AdSD) and muscle tension dysphonia (MTD), in voice disturbances of a severe nature, with the use of high-speed digital imaging (HSDI). A secondary hypothesis of the study was to investigate the sensitivity and specificity of the signature kinematic features obtained from HSDI, in differentiating between AdSD and MTD.

METHODS: We ...

OBJECTIVES: Inflammatory factors are key mediators of wound healing processes following injury, and their modulation may improve healing outcomes. The objective of this study was to characterize in vivo inflammatory factor and extracellular matrix (ECM) messenger RNA (mRNA) expression levels 1 hour after vocal fold injury.

METHODS: Five Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to bilateral vocal fold injury, 5 rats were reserved as uninjured controls, and 1 rat was subjected to unilateral ...

Hyaluronan (HYA) is considered to be a crucial factor in scarless wound healing and in maintaining tissue viscosity of the vocal fold lamina propria. In this study focusing on the effects of growth factors, we examined how HYA is produced and controlled in canine cultured vocal fold fibroblasts. Fibroblasts were taken from the lamina propria of the vocal folds of 8 dogs and cultured with and without growth factors. The production of HYA in the supernatant culture was quantitatively ...

Vocal fold fibrotic scar is characterized by fibrosis of the lamina propria and epithelium, and is difficult to treat. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has antifibrotic activity and has received attention as a possible therapeutic alternative to treat fibrosis. In this study, in order to clarify whether HGF can be involved in vocal fold scarring, we examined the existence of HGF and its receptor, c-Met, in rat vocal folds, and then the activity of HGF in rabbit injured vocal folds, using ...

OBJECTIVES: High-speed digital imaging (HSDI), unlike stroboscopy, is a frequency-independent visualization technique that provides detailed biomechanical assessment of vocal physiology due to increased temporal resolution. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical value of HSDI compared to that of stroboscopy across 3 disorder groups classified as epithelial, subepithelial, and neurologic disorders.

METHODS: Judgments of vibratory features of vocal fold edge, glottal ...

Scarring of the vocal fold causes considerable dysphonia and presents significant treatment challenges. A rabbit model was developed to investigate the histologic ultrastructure and rheologic properties of the scarred vocal fold lamina propria. Eleven rabbit larynges were scarred by means of forcep biopsy. Sixty days postoperatively, the rabbits were sacrificed and their vocal folds were harvested. Histological analysis of the scarred and normal lamina propria was completed for collagen, ...