title: Localization of label-retaining cells in murine vocal fold epithelium.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Epithelial homeostasis is critical for vocal fold health, yet little is known about the cells that support epithelial self-renewal. As a known characteristic of stem cells is that they are slow-cycling in vivo, the purpose of this prospective controlled study was to identify and quantify slow-cycling cells or putative stem cells in murine vocal fold epithelium.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve mice were administered daily intraperitoneal injections of a nucleotide dye, bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), over 7 consecutive days. Under this pulse-chase paradigm, slow-cycling cells retain the dye (label-retaining cells; LRCs) while more rapidly cycling cells lose dye to dilution during multiple cell divisions. The percentage of label-retaining cells (%LRCs) was calculated following a chase period of 2, 4, and 8 weeks postinjections.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The %LRCs decreased significantly from 9.4% at 2 weeks to 3.1% at 8 weeks following injections (p < .05). No statistically significant differences in the quantity of BrdU-positive cells were measured between the anterior, mid-membranous, or cartilaginous regions of the vocal fold (p > .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings are consistent with the presence and first report of a small population of putative stem cells along the length of murine vocal fold epithelium.
authors.affiliation: Brooklyn College, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Ciara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leydon
authors.forename: Rebecca S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Bartlett
authors.forename: Drew A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Roenneburg
authors.forename: Susan L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Thibeault
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement; D058948:Cell Tracking; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007830:Larynx / Q000166:cytology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D055153:Stem Cell Niche / Q000502:physiology*; D014827:Vocal Cords / Q000166:cytology*