Establishing a Mouse Model of Surgical Vocal Fold Injury

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Regenerative Medicine
• Surgical Pathology

Background:

• Vocal fold (VF) surgical injury and subsequent scar formation are significant clinical challenges.
• Existing animal models for VF injury may lack accessibility or utilize specialized materials.
• Understanding VF wound healing is crucial for improving surgical outcomes and voice restoration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a practical and accessible alternative animal model for inducing unilateral vocal fold (VF) surgical injury in mice.
• To investigate the epithelial (EP) and lamina propria (LP) wound healing responses following this induced VF injury.

Main Methods:

• Mice underwent unilateral VF injury induced by a wire brush under laryngoscopic visualization.
• Injured VFs were harvested at multiple time points (1-28 days) post-injury.
• Histological and immunofluorescent analyses assessed EP thickness, LP area, cell proliferation (Ki67), basal cell markers (p63), and collagen III deposition.

Main Results:

• The injury reached the superficial thyroarytenoid muscle by Day 1.
• Increased EP thickness and LP area were observed from Day 3 onwards.
• Elevated cell proliferation (Ki67+, p63+) occurred on Day 3, with increased collagen III content noted on Days 5 and 28.

Conclusions:

• A reproducible and accessible mouse model for unilateral vocal fold surgical injury was successfully established.
• This model provides a valuable platform for future research into VF surgical injury mechanisms and therapeutic interventions.
• The findings offer insights into the dynamic wound healing processes within the VF epithelium and lamina propria.