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The cranial base and related internal anatomical features in Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens.Anatomical Record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007) Aug 2022The cranial anatomy of Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens is well documented in the paleoanthropological and medical literature. However, there are few high-quality...
The cranial anatomy of Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens is well documented in the paleoanthropological and medical literature. However, there are few high-quality visual guides of their comparative morphology. We give here a detailed description of the anatomy of two important fossil specimens, La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1 and abri Pataud 1, based on high-resolution imaging data with each specimen representing the respective morphologies of H. neanderthalensis and H. sapiens. We describe the comparative morphology of external, endocranial, and internal characteristics of the cranium, with a focus on the petrous and tympanic portions of the temporal bone. This descriptive approach shows differences between our specimens, including in positions of cerebral components relative to cranial structures and patterns of dural sinus drainage. Numerous external and internal differences in the shape of the petrous temporal are also described, including its articulation with the tympanic bone and the orientation of the petrotympanic crest. The presence of a large protuberance between the osseous Eustachian tube orifice and carotid foramen in H. neanderthalensis suggests that the levator veli palatini muscle took origin more laterally than the dilator tubae arm of the tensor veli palatini muscle, a feature shared with H. sapiens. The overall pattern that emerges is one in which two species have undergone large-scale evolutionary changes in a functionally critical region. Such differences necessitate high-quality visualization and consideration of both internal and external morphology.
Topics: Animals; Eustachian Tube; Fossils; Hominidae; Humans; Neanderthals; Palatal Muscles; Skull Base
PubMed: 34989121
DOI: 10.1002/ar.24854 -
The Journal of Histochemistry and... Mar 2022The soft palate is the only structure that reversibly separates the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. Most species can eat and breathe at the same time. Humans...
The soft palate is the only structure that reversibly separates the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. Most species can eat and breathe at the same time. Humans cannot do this and malfunction of the soft palate may allow food to enter the lungs and cause fatal aspiration pneumonia. Speech is the most defining characteristic of humans and the soft palate, along with the larynx and tongue, plays the key roles. In addition, palatal muscles are involved in snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. Considering the significance of the soft palate, its function is insufficiently understood. The objectives of this study were to document morphometric and immunohistochemical characteristics of adult human soft palate muscles, including fiber size, the fiber type, and myosin heavy chain (MyHC) composition for better understanding muscle functions. In this study, 15 soft palates were obtained from human autopsies. The palatal muscles were separated, cryosectioned, and stained using histological and immunohistochemical techniques. The results showed that there was a fast type II predominance in the musculus uvulae and palatopharyngeus and a slow type I predominance in the levator veli palatine. Approximately equal proportions of type I and type II fibers existed in both the palatoglossus and tensor veli palatine. Soft palate muscles also contained hybrid fibers and some specialized myofibers expressing slow-tonic and embryonic MyHC isoforms. These findings would help better understand muscle functions.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Female; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Male; Middle Aged; Myosin Heavy Chains; Palatal Muscles; Palate, Soft
PubMed: 34957888
DOI: 10.1369/00221554211066985 -
Journal of Anatomy May 2022The extinct freshwater choristoderan reptiles Champsosaurus and Simoedosaurus are characterised by large body size and an elongated snout. They have often been...
Feeding behaviour and functional morphology of the neck in the long-snouted aquatic fossil reptile Champsosaurus (Reptilia: Diapsida) in comparison with the modern crocodilian Gavialis gangeticus.
The extinct freshwater choristoderan reptiles Champsosaurus and Simoedosaurus are characterised by large body size and an elongated snout. They have often been considered as eco-analogues of crocodilians based on superficial similarities. The slender-snouted Champsosaurus has been described as a 'gavial-like reptile', which implies it feeds underwater with a lateral swipe of the head and neck, as in the living slender-snouted crocodilians such as Gavialis gangeticus. In contrast, the short-snouted Simoedosaurus is often compared with short-snouted living crocodilians and is considered to take single prey items. However, the neck mobility and flexibility needed for feeding movements are poorly understood even in extant crocodilians. This study explores the relationship between cervical morphology and neck flexion, focusing particularly on lateral and dorsal movements in G. gangeticus by comparison with shorter-snouted crocodilians. The paper also describes a method to estimate the maximum angle of neck dorsiflexion in choristoderes based on the cervical morphology of extant crocodilian species. Three indices were used in this study, of which Index 3 is newly proposed, to compare cervical morphology and intervertebral joint flexibility: (1) Enclosed zygapophyseal angles (EZA) as an index of dorsoventral/ bilateral flexibility, (2) moment arm (M) of dorsiflexor muscles as an Index of resistance against ventroflexion and (3) the orientations of zygapophysial facets for a maximum angle of dorsiflexion. These Indices were validated using µCT scanning of fresh specimens of G. gangeticus and Caiman latirostris in lateral and dorsal flexion. A unique mechanism of lateral flexion was identified in G. gangeticus that uses a combination of the following features: (1) lateral flexion mainly restricted to the anterior cervical vertebrae (v2/v3: high EZA, with more horizontal zygapophyses) and (2) high degree of dorsiflexion at the v3/v4 and v4/v5 joints with potential for dorsal flexibility through the middle-posterior neck, which is used in inertial feeding. In contrast, Champsosaurus and Simoedosaurus possess relatively short cervical vertebrae, as in short-snouted crocodilians. The middle-posterior cervical vertebrae of Champsosaurus are specialised for lateral flexion (high EZA), and there is only limited capacity for dorsiflexion throughout the neck. Like G. gangeticus, therefore, Champsosaurus may have used its slender snout to grab fish from shoals using lateral sweeping motions of the head and neck, but the movement is through the neck, not the craniocervical joint. However, inertial feeding is less likely to have occurred in this genus, and the aligned palatal dentition may have aided the lingual transport of prey into the mouth. Simoedosaurus, on the other hand, appears to have been less specialised, with a neck that combined lateral and dorsolateral flexion, a move that could have been effective in catching both terrestrial and aquatic prey. Where these two choristoderan genera occurred in the same place, they may have divided their niche by prey types.
Topics: Alligators and Crocodiles; Animals; Feeding Behavior; Fossils; Head; Neck
PubMed: 34865223
DOI: 10.1111/joa.13600 -
Journal of Oral Biology and... 2022The conventional surgical procedures for the closure of cleft-lip and palate are based on proven plastic-surgical procedures from tumour surgery or traumatology. These...
Cleft lip, alveolus and palate: Defect or dislocation malformation? Importance of adopting a physiological concept for surgical repair in achieving optimal outcomes in LMICs. Part 1: Physiological processes in facial development.
The conventional surgical procedures for the closure of cleft-lip and palate are based on proven plastic-surgical procedures from tumour surgery or traumatology. These flap surgeries take little account of the fact that the treatment of such malformations takes place during the time of a child's increased growth and is known to lead to pronounced scarring and skeletal growth disorders. It is therefore imperative to develop modified surgical procedures based on physiological growth processes. These physiological procedures must include the reconstruction of all facial structures such as orofacial, palatal and pharyngeal muscles, complete nose, upper jaw and palate. Transfer of this know how to low resource LMIC and training is essential if optimal outcomes are to be achieved.
PubMed: 34820255
DOI: 10.1016/j.jobcr.2021.11.001 -
Biomolecules Oct 2021This study aimed to analyze the effects of fibrin constructs enhanced with laminin-nidogen, implanted in the wounded rat soft palate. Fibrin constructs with and without...
This study aimed to analyze the effects of fibrin constructs enhanced with laminin-nidogen, implanted in the wounded rat soft palate. Fibrin constructs with and without laminin-nidogen were implanted in 1 mm excisional wounds in the soft palate of 9-week-old rats and compared with the wounded soft palate without implantation. Collagen deposition and myofiber formation were analyzed at days 3, 7, 28 and 56 after wounding by histochemistry. In addition, immune staining was performed for a-smooth muscle actin (a-SMA), myosin heavy chain (MyHC) and paired homeobox protein 7 (Pax7). At day 56, collagen areas were smaller in both implant groups (31.25 ± 7.73% fibrin only and 21.11 ± 6.06% fibrin with laminin-nidogen)) compared to the empty wounds (38.25 ± 8.89%, < 0.05). Moreover, the collagen area in the fibrin with laminin-nidogen group was smaller than in the fibrin only group ( ˂ 0.05). The areas of myofiber formation in the fibrin only group (31.77 ± 10.81%) and fibrin with laminin-nidogen group (43.13 ± 10.39%) were larger than in the empty wounds (28.10 ± 11.68%, ˂ 0.05). Fibrin-based constructs with laminin-nidogen reduce fibrosis and improve muscle regeneration in the wounded soft palate. This is a promising strategy to enhance cleft soft palate repair and other severe muscle injuries.
Topics: Actins; Animals; Collagen; Fibrin; Fibrosis; Humans; Laminin; Membrane Glycoproteins; Muscle, Skeletal; Myofibrils; Myosin Heavy Chains; Paired Box Transcription Factors; Palate, Soft; Rats; Regeneration; Wound Healing
PubMed: 34680180
DOI: 10.3390/biom11101547 -
Frontiers in Cell and Developmental... 2021The roles of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling in palatogenesis were well documented in the developing hard palate; however, little is known about how BMP...
The roles of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling in palatogenesis were well documented in the developing hard palate; however, little is known about how BMP signaling regulates the development of soft palate. In this study, we overexpressed transgene via allele to suppress BMP signaling in the developing soft palate. We found that BMP-Smad signaling was detected in the palatal muscles and surrounding mesenchyme. When BMP-Smad signaling was suppressed by the overexpressed , the soft palatal shelves were reduced in size with the hypoplastic muscles and the extroversive hypophosphatasia (HPP). The downregulated cell proliferation and survival in the soft palates were suggested to result from the repressed transcription and Gli1 activity, implicating that the BMP-Shh-Gli1 network played a similar role in soft palate development as in the hard palate. The downregulated Sox9, (), and expression in soft palate indicated the impaired differentiation of the aponeurosis and tendons, which was suggested to result in the hypoplasia of palatal muscles. Intriguingly, in the and the soft palates, the hypoplastic or abrogated muscles affected little the fusion of soft palate. Although the , , and transcription was significantly repressed in the tenogenic mesenchyme of the soft palate, the Sox9 expression, and the and transcription in aponeurosis mesenchyme were almost unaffected. It implicated that the fusion of soft palate was controlled by the mesenchymal clues at the tensor veli palatini (TVP) and levator veli palatini (LVP) levels, but by the myogenic components at the palatopharyngeus (PLP) level.
PubMed: 34557486
DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.711334 -
BMJ Case Reports Sep 2021A 16-year-old patient presented with sudden-onset difficulty in swallowing food especially for liquids with nasal regurgitation and rhinolalia with no history of fever...
A 16-year-old patient presented with sudden-onset difficulty in swallowing food especially for liquids with nasal regurgitation and rhinolalia with no history of fever and limb weakness. Examination revealed bilateral palatal palsy with absence of gag reflex. Other neurological examinations were normal. Investigations were done to rule out any known pathology leading to such a presentation. The symptoms were attributed to an idiopathic acute-onset-acquired bilateral palatal palsy, in the absence of any identifiable cause. This is a rare presentation in adolescent age with no case reported in the literature so far in this age group. Medical management was started and patient showed complete improvement within 2 weeks of his symptoms. Early diagnosis and aggressive management of this condition lead to a favourable prognosis.
Topics: Adolescent; Humans; Muscle Weakness; Palate; Paralysis; Speech Disorders
PubMed: 34479886
DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2021-243467 -
PloS One 2021The extent of dysfunction of the Eustachian tube (ET) is relevant in understanding the pathogenesis of secondary otological diseases such as acute or chronic otitis...
The extent of dysfunction of the Eustachian tube (ET) is relevant in understanding the pathogenesis of secondary otological diseases such as acute or chronic otitis media. The underlying mechanism of ET dysfunction remains poorly understood except for an apparent genesis such as a nasopharyngeal tumor or cleft palate. To better describe the ET, its functional anatomy, and the biomechanical valve mechanism and subsequent development of diagnostic and interventional tools, a three-dimensional model based on thin-layer histology was created from an ET in this study. Blackface sheep was chosen as a donor. The 3-D model was generated by the coherent alignment of the sections. It was then compared with the cone-beam computed tomography dataset of the complete embedded specimen taken before slicing. The model shows the topographic relation of the individual components, such as the bone and cartilage, the muscles and connective tissue, as well as the lining epithelium with the lumen. It indicates a limited spiraling rotation of the cartilaginous tube over its length and relevant positional relationships of the tensor and levator veli palatine muscles.
Topics: Animals; Cartilage; Cleft Palate; Ear Diseases; Eustachian Tube; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms; Otitis Media; Otitis Media with Effusion; Palatal Muscles; Sheep
PubMed: 34383758
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244909 -
Human Molecular Genetics Dec 2021Patients with autosomal dominant SPECC1L variants show syndromic malformations, including hypertelorism, cleft palate and omphalocele. These SPECC1L variants largely...
Patients with autosomal dominant SPECC1L variants show syndromic malformations, including hypertelorism, cleft palate and omphalocele. These SPECC1L variants largely cluster in the second coiled-coil domain (CCD2), which facilitates association with microtubules. To study SPECC1L function in mice, we first generated a null allele (Specc1lΔEx4) lacking the entire SPECC1L protein. Homozygous mutants for these truncations died perinatally without cleft palate or omphalocele. Given the clustering of human variants in CCD2, we hypothesized that targeted perturbation of CCD2 may be required. Indeed, homozygotes for in-frame deletions involving CCD2 (Specc1lΔCCD2) resulted in exencephaly, cleft palate and ventral body wall closure defects (omphalocele). Interestingly, exencephaly and cleft palate were never observed in the same embryo. Further examination revealed a narrower oral cavity in exencephalic embryos, which allowed palatal shelves to elevate and fuse despite their defect. In the cell, wild-type SPECC1L was evenly distributed throughout the cytoplasm and colocalized with both microtubules and filamentous actin. In contrast, mutant SPECC1L-ΔCCD2 protein showed abnormal perinuclear accumulation with diminished overlap with microtubules, indicating that SPECC1L used microtubule association for trafficking in the cell. The perinuclear accumulation in the mutant also resulted in abnormally increased actin and non-muscle myosin II bundles dislocated to the cell periphery. Disrupted actomyosin cytoskeletal organization in SPECC1L CCD2 mutants would affect cell alignment and coordinated movement during neural tube, palate and ventral body wall closure. Thus, we show that perturbation of CCD2 in the context of full SPECC1L protein affects tissue fusion dynamics, indicating that human SPECC1L CCD2 variants are gain-of-function.
Topics: Animals; Cleft Palate; Gain of Function Mutation; Mice; Microtubules; Palate; Phenotype; Phosphoproteins
PubMed: 34302166
DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab211 -
BMC Pediatrics Jul 2021When evaluating speech in children with cleft palate with or without cleft lip (CP/L), children with known syndromes and/or additional malformations (CP/L+) are usually...
BACKGROUND
When evaluating speech in children with cleft palate with or without cleft lip (CP/L), children with known syndromes and/or additional malformations (CP/L+) are usually excluded. The aim of this study was to present speech outcome of a consecutive series of 5-year-olds born with CP/L, and to compare speech results of children with CP/L + and children with CP/L without known syndromes and/or additional malformations (CP/L-).
METHODS
One hundred 5-year-olds (20 with CP/L+; 80 with CP/L-) participated. All children were treated with primary palatal surgery in one stage with the same procedure for muscle reconstruction. Three independent judges performed phonetic transcriptions and rated perceived velopharyngeal competence from audio recordings. Based on phonetic transcriptions, percent consonants correct (PCC) and percent non-oral errors were investigated. Group comparisons were performed.
RESULTS
In the total group, mean PCC was 88.2 and mean percent non-oral errors 1.5. The group with bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP) had poorer results on both measures compared to groups with other cleft types. The average results of PCC and percent non-oral errors in the CP/L + group indicated somewhat poorer speech, but no significant differences were observed. In the CP/L + group, 25 % were judged as having incompetent velopharyngeal competence, compared to 15 % in the CP/L- group.
CONCLUSIONS
The results indicated relatively good speech compared to speech of children with CP/L in previous studies. Speech was poorer in many children with more extensive clefts. No significant differences in speech outcomes were observed between CP/L + and CP/L- groups.
Topics: Child; Child, Preschool; Cleft Lip; Cleft Palate; Humans; Speech; Syndrome
PubMed: 34243736
DOI: 10.1186/s12887-021-02783-0