Abstract
Objectives
There is growing evidence that the maculae flavae of the human vocal fold are a stem
cell niche, which is a microenvironment nurturing tissue stem cells. This study investigated
the microenvironment, especially vascularity, in the maculae flavae of the human vocal
fold.
Methods
Three normal human adult, three normal newborn vocal folds obtained from autopsy cases
and three surgical specimens of glottic carcinoma were investigated using light and
electron microscopy. For scanning electron microscopy, a chemical digestion method
(modified sodium hydroxide maceration method) was used to observe the inner 3-dimensional
structure of the macula flava.
Results
Capillaries ran around the anterior and posterior maculae flavae in adults and newborns.
However, there was no vascularity in the maculae flavae of the vocal fold. The inner
3-dimensional electron microscopic structure of the macula flava showed there were
no blood vessels in the maculae flavae of the vocal fold. Glottic carcinoma (squamous
cell carcinoma) surrounded and was in contact with the macula flava, however, the
carcinoma did not invade the macula flava indicating there was no vascular supply
into the macula flava from the surrounding tissue.
Conclusions
There was no vascularity in the anterior and posterior maculae flavae in the human
adult and newborn vocal folds. The present study is consistent with the hypothesis
that the hypoxic microenvironment in the maculae flavae of the adult and newborn vocal
fold as a stem cell niche is likely favorable to maintaining the stemness and undifferentiated
states of the tissue stem cells in the stem cell system.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: December 28, 2022
Accepted:
December 16,
2022
Received:
August 3,
2022
Publication stage
In Press Corrected ProofIdentification
Copyright
© 2022 Japanese Society of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Inc. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
