Objective:This study was performed to investigate the feasibility of preservation of internal branch of superior laryngeal nerve(ibSLN) during transoral endoscopic surgery for hypopharyngeal squamous cancer(HSCC) and the influence on patient′s swallowing function after operation.Methods:From May 2020 to June 2021, the data of 29 HSCC patients who required for transoral endoscopic surgery in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University were prospectively included, and the included patients were divided into two groups randomly by lottery. According to whether ibSLN was actively dissected during operation, they were divided into ibSLN preservation group ( n=15) and control group ( n=14, without ibSLN preservation). Operation time, intraoperative hemorrhage, intraoperative neck dissection, postoperative radiotherapy, postoperative recurrence within 1 year, retention and swallowing function, the recovery of oral soft diet and the quality of life were compared between two groups. SPSS 25.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Results:The study included 29 eligible patients, including 25 males and 4 females.The age ranged from 42 to 67 (56.07±5.93) years. There were no significant differences( P>0.05) between 2 groups in the following data,including age( t=-0.56), gender( χ2=0.01), TNM stage(T stage χ2=0.29, N stage χ2=0.02), pathological diagnosis( χ2=0.03), preoperative swallowing function( χ2=0.00) and M. D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory(MDADI) score(global t=0.55, emotional t=0.16, functional t=0.60, physical t=0.64), operation time( t=1.62) and intraoperative hemorrhage( t=-1.46), intraoperative neck dissection( χ2=0.01), postoperative radiotherapy( χ2=0.32), postoperative recurrence within 1 year( P>0.050). The swallowing function was evaluated by water swallowing test after operation. The swallowing function of ibSLN preservation group was better than control group, and the difference between two groups was statistically significant on the 1st ( χ2=4.44, P=0.035), 5th ( χ2=4.24, P=0.039) and 7th ( χ2=4.55, P=0.033) day after operation. On the 14th day after operation, the MDADI scores of patients in the ibSLN preservation group were higher than those in the control group in global ( t=2.45, P=0.021), functional ( t=2.54, P=0.017) and physical ( t=2.24, P=0.034) dimensions, except for emotional dimension ( t=1.89, P=0.070). The median time of oral soft diet( U=23.00, P<0.001), normal oral diet( U=21.00, P<0.001) and the nasogastric tube removal time ( U=18.50, P<0.001) in ibSLN preservation group was 2 days, 5 days and 6 days respectively, earlier than that in control group, which had statistically significant difference. Conclusion:Our results show that it is feasible to preserve the ibSLN during HSCC transoral endoscopic surgery, which can achieve rapid recovery of postoperative swallowing function.

Objective:To explore the feasibility and efficacy for the dissection and ligation of the superior laryngeal artery in endoscopic surgery for hypopharyngeal cancer.Methods:Eight cadaveric heads were selected, and the laryngopharynxes were harvested. The positions of the superior laryngeal arteries entering the larynxes were dissected and observed under endoscopic vision, and their anatomical characteristics were summarized. Twenty-nine patients (all were male, aged 39-74 years old) with hypopharyngeal cancer who underwent transoral endoscopic surgery at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery of the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University from January 2018 to December 2019 were selected, and the patients were randomly divided into two groups by drawing lots, namely, the superior laryngeal artery was actively dissected and occluded during surgery in observation group ( n=15) or not in control group ( n=14). The differences in surgical time, bleeding volume, postoperative complications, and postoperative disease-free survival rate were compared between the two groups. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS 25.0 software. Results:The entry point of the superior laryngeal artery into the larynx was approximately at the level of the superior edge of the thyroid cartilage, and entered the larynx at the posterior one-third of the lateral wall of the pyriform fossa. The superior laryngeal artery might be determined through endoscopic exploration in all patients of observation group. The endoscopic surgery time [(40.00±7.56) minutes] and intraoperative bleeding volume [(24.00±8.28) ml] in the observation group were respectively less than those [(48.57±14.06) minutes and (42.86±15.41) ml] in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant ( t=-2.064, P=0.049; t=-4.064, P=0.001). There was no case with postoperative bleeding in the observation group, but with one case of postoperative bleeding in the control group. Total disease free survival rate was 86.2% and there was no significant difference in disease free survival rates between the two groups during a follow-up period of at least 36 months ( P=0.986). Conclusion:Dissection of the superior laryngeal artery during endoscopic surgery for hypopharyngeal cancer is feasible, and pre-management and occlusion of the superior laryngeal artery can effectively reduce intraoperative bleeding.

Prolin-rich Akt substrate of 40 kD (PRAS40) is firstly identified as a partner of 14-3-3 protein and a substrate of Akt kinase by Roth et al in 2003. Accumulated evidence shows that PRAS40 is mainly activated by phosphorylate modification at different sites. PRAS40 may be involved in various of signaling pathways, such as mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), protein kinase B (Akt), NF-κB and ribosomal protein L11 (RPL11) etc, which can regulate cell proliferation, senescence, autophagy, apoptosis and exosome secretion.
Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing ; metabolism ; Humans ; Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1 ; metabolism ; Phosphorylation ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; metabolism ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases ; metabolism

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the ubiquitin expression in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) whether along with local lymph node metastasis, and further study its correlation with local lymph node metastasis and other clinicopathological parameters in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. METHOD: We detected the different expression level of ubiquitin in paraffin specimens between 19 cases of LSCC associated with cervical lymph node metastasis LSCC(N+) and 20 cases of LSCC not associated with cervical lymph node metastasis LSCC(N-) by immunohistochemical staining combined with stereology image analysis system. Statistics were analyzed by student test, variance analysis and ROC curve. RESULT: Ubiquitin expression in LSCC(N+) was significantly higher than LSCC(N-) (P < 0.01); their expression level was not correlated with age,history of tobacco, alcohol addiction, clinical stage and primary site,etc. CONCLUSION Ubiquitin was significantly up-expressed in LSCC(N+) than ILSCC (N-), which may imply that it is one of the important elements in mechanism of lymph node metastasis in LSCC.
Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lymph Nodes ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck ; Ubiquitin ; metabolism