Sato Kiminori, Hirano Minoru, Nakashima Tadashi
Dept of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume 830-0011, Japan.
Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2004 Feb;113(2):108-12. doi: 10.1177/000348940411300204.
Light and electron microscopic investigation of age-related changes in vocal fold stellate cells (VFSCs) of the human vocal fold mucosa was carried out on 10 excised human adult larynges from autopsy and surgical cases. The results are summarized as follows. Aged VFSCs were stellate in shape and possessed slender cytoplasmic processes. Aged VFSCs also possessed lipid droplets in the cytoplasm and stored vitamin A. Basically, the morphological characteristics of the aged VFSCs were the same as those of younger adults. The number of VFSCs had decreased. There were fewer intercellular organelles than in younger adults. Some components of the cytoplasm had degenerated. The nuclei of the VFSCs were dense and cleaved. There were few vesicles at the periphery of the cytoplasm of aged VFSCs, and few newly released amorphous materials. Some aged VFSCs had degenerated, and an accumulation of glycogen particles was seen in the cytoplasm. The number of fibers synthesized by these inactivated cells had decreased. These findings were recognized to various degrees. The aged VFSCs in the maculae flavae appear to have decreased activity, have abnormal metabolism, and undergo degeneration. Age-related changes in the VFSCs of the maculae flavae are postulated to influence the metabolism of extracellular matrices in the vocal fold mucosa, as well as the viscoelasticity of the aged vocal fold mucosa, and are one of the causes of aging of the voice.
对取自尸检和手术病例的10个成人切除喉进行了人声带黏膜中声带星状细胞（VFSCs）年龄相关变化的光镜和电镜研究。结果总结如下。老年VFSCs呈星状，具有细长的细胞质突起。老年VFSCs的细胞质中还含有脂滴并储存维生素A。基本上，老年VFSCs的形态特征与年轻成年人相同。VFSCs的数量减少。细胞间细胞器比年轻成年人少。细胞质的一些成分已经退化。VFSCs的细胞核致密且有裂解。老年VFSCs细胞质周边的囊泡很少，新释放的无定形物质也很少。一些老年VFSCs已经退化，细胞质中可见糖原颗粒的积累。这些失活细胞合成的纤维数量减少。这些发现有不同程度的表现。杓状会厌襞中的老年VFSCs似乎活性降低、代谢异常并发生退化。推测杓状会厌襞中VFSCs的年龄相关变化会影响声带黏膜细胞外基质的代谢以及老年声带黏膜的粘弹性，并且是声音老化的原因之一。
