Regeneration of Vocal Fold Mucosa Using Tissue-Engineered Structures with Oral Mucosal Cells
Fig 10
Histological comparison between normal (A, D, E), transplanted (B, E, H), and control (C, F, I) portions of the removed larynges.
Epithelial cells were not immunohistochemically stained with anti-cytokeratin 8 antibodies in normal (A) or control (C) portions, but stained positively on transplanted portions (B). The stratified epithelium on both normal and transplanted portions consisted of five to seven uniform cell layers, but differed from the control portion, which consisted of approximately ten uniform cell layers. Cells stained with vimentin, including fibroblasts, were identified in equal density in the lamina propria on every portion (D, E, F). Vascular endothelial cells stained with vimentin were identified in greater number in the lamina propria on normal (D) and regenerated (E) portions than on control (F) portions. EVG staining revealed both collagenous and elastic fibers on transplanted portions (H), with denser collagenous fibers than those on normal portions (G). Scar tissue formation and proliferation of collagenous fibers were observed on control portions (I).