Saito Takehisa, Ito Tetsufumi, Narita Norihiko, Yamada Takechiyo, Manabe Yasuhiro
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan.
Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2011 Nov;120(11):713-21. doi: 10.1177/000348941112001104.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the mean number of regenerated fungiform taste buds per papilla and perform light and electron microscopic observation of taste buds in patients with recovered taste function after severing the chorda tympani nerve during middle ear surgery.
We performed a biopsy on the fungiform papillae (FP) in the midlateral region of the dorsal surface of the tongue from 5 control volunteers (33 total FP) and from 7 and 5 patients with and without taste recovery (34 and 29 FP, respectively) 3 years 6 months to 18 years after surgery. The specimens were observed by light and transmission electron microscopy. The taste function was evaluated by electrogustometry.
The mean number of taste buds in the FP of patients with completely recovered taste function was significantly smaller (1.9 +/- 1.4 per papilla; p < 0.01) than that of the control subjects (3.8 +/- 2.2 per papilla). By transmission electron microscopy, 4 distinct types of cell (type I, II, III, and basal cells) were identified in the regenerated taste buds. Nerve fibers and nerve terminals were also found in the taste buds.
It was clarified that taste buds containing taste cells and nerve endings do regenerate in the FP of patients with recovered taste function.
本研究旨在评估中耳手术切断鼓索神经后味觉功能恢复患者每个乳头再生的菌状味蕾的平均数量，并对味蕾进行光镜和电镜观察。
我们对5名对照志愿者（共33个菌状乳头）以及7名味觉恢复患者和5名味觉未恢复患者（分别为34个和29个菌状乳头）舌背外侧中部区域的菌状乳头进行活检，时间为术后3年6个月至18年。通过光镜和透射电镜观察标本。通过电味觉测量评估味觉功能。
味觉功能完全恢复患者的菌状乳头中味蕾的平均数量（每个乳头1.9±1.4个；p<0.01）显著少于对照受试者（每个乳头3.8±2.2个）。通过透射电镜，在再生的味蕾中鉴定出4种不同类型的细胞（I型、II型、III型和基底细胞）。在味蕾中也发现了神经纤维和神经末梢。
明确了在味觉功能恢复的患者的菌状乳头中，含有味觉细胞和神经末梢的味蕾确实会再生。
