title: Chronic stimulation-induced changes in the rodent thyroarytenoid muscle.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Therapies for certain voice disorders purport principles of skeletal muscle rehabilitation to increase muscle mass, strength, and endurance. However, applicability of limb muscle rehabilitation to the laryngeal muscles has not been tested. In this study, the authors examined the feasibility of the rat thyroarytenoid muscle to remodel as a consequence of increased activity instantiated through chronic electrical stimulation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty adult Sprague-Dawley rats (Rattus norvegicus), assigned to a 1-week or 2-week stimulation group, were implanted with a nerve cuff electrode placed around the right recurrent laryngeal nerve and were fitted with a head connector. All animals were placed under anesthesia twice a day for 1 hr each time. Following the training, rats were killed, and thyroarytenoid muscles were isolated for histology and immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean muscle fiber area decreased, neuromuscular junction density increased, mitochondrial content increased qualitatively, and glycogen-positive fibers increased, demonstrating exercise-induced changes similar to those seen in limb muscles after endurance training.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rat thyroarytenoid muscles are capable of remodeling in response to chronic electrical stimulation.
authors.affiliation: University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA. cmcmu2@email.uky.edu
authors.forename: Colleen A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: McMullen
authors.forename: Timothy A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Butterfield
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dietrich
authors.forename: Richard D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Andreatta
authors.forename: Francisco H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fry
authors.forename: Joseph C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Stemple
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006003:Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism; D007821:Laryngeal Muscles / Q000294:innervation / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D006003:Glycogen