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The present study demonstrates that a varying degree of spontaneous RLN regeneration is substantially engaged in the process of subclinical reinnervation following laryngeal denervation in humans, which may account for different clinical characteristics and outcomes of VFP.

Objective. The aim of this research is to evaluate the protective effects of methane-rich saline (MS) on lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced acute lung injury (ALI) and investigate its potential antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic activities. Methods. LPS-induced (20 mg/kg) ALI rats were injected with MS (2 ml/kg and 20 ml/kg) before the initiation of LPS induction. Survival rate was determined until 96 h after LPS was induced. Lung injury was assayed by oxygenation index, lung permeability index (LPI), wet-to-dry weight (W/D), and histology. The cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were counted. Oxidative stress was examined by the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Inflammatory factors including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in BALF were determined by ELISA. Lung tissue apoptosis was detected by TUNEL staining and western blotting of caspase-3. Results. It was found that methane significantly prolonged the rat survival, decreased the lung W/D ratio and the content of the inflammatory factors, and reduced the amount of caspase-3 and apoptotic index. In addition, MS increased the level of SOD and decreased the level of MDA significantly. Conclusions. MS protects the LPS-challenged ALI via antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic effect, which may prove to be a novel therapy for the clinical management of ALI.

In this paper, we constructed a novel acellular nerve xenograft (ANX) seeded with neurons and Schwann cells to bridge long-distance gaps in rat sciatic nerves. The neurons and Schwann cells were induced from Sprague Dawley (SD) rat hair follicle neural crest stem cells with sonic hedgehog/retinoic acid and neuregulin 1, respectively. Fifty male SD rats were randomly divided into two groups (n = 25): ANX + cells group and ANX group. A 4-cm-long sciatic nerve defect was created on the right hind limb and bridged with cell-seeded ANX in ANX + cells group or ANX alone in ANX group. We found that the implanted neurons and Schwann cells could survive by 4 weeks and as far as 52 weeks posttransplantation. In implanted grafts, chemical synaptic structures were also found under transmission electron microscope and confirmed with immunostaining of synapsin 1, a synaptic marker. The number of regenerated axons in ANX + cells group was higher than that in ANX group (P < 0.01). This novel implantation of neurons and Schwann cells via acellular nerve graft may provide an alternative way for repairing peripheral nerve defect.

Background: The high glucose-induced proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) plays an important role in the development of diabetic vascular diseases. In a previous study, we confirmed that Interferon regulatory factor-1 (Irf-1) is a positive regulator of the high glucose-induced proliferation of VSMCs. However, the mechanisms remain to be determined.