Mechanical tongue cleaning is a worthwhile procedure to improve the taste sensation.

Background: There are still only a few therapeutic strategies to improve taste sensation, which is part of oral health and quality of life.

Objective: Therefore, here we aimed to investigate gustatory functions of healthy subjects performing mechanical tongue cleaning (MTC), an easy-to-perform oral hygiene procedure, to demonstrate taste changes and to describe possible negative side effects.

Methods: Prior to and 14 days following MTC with an Orabrush , the following tests were conducted in 65 healthy participants including both non-smokers (n = 50, 76.

Chemosensory function before and after multimodal treatment in chronic rhinosinusitis patients.

Objectives/hypothesis: Olfactory dysfunction is common among the general population, with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) as one of the leading causes. Patients affected by CRS often report changes in taste sensations; however, quantitative measurements have not been performed to date. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate gustatory and olfactory function in CRS patients prior to and after multimodal treatment.

Magnetic resonance-imaging of the effect of targeted antiangiogenic gene delivery in a melanoma tumour model.

Objectives: We investigated the effect of targeted gene therapy to melanoma tumours (M21) by MR-imaging.

Methods: M21 and M21-L tumours were grown to a size of 850 mm(3). M21 and M21-L tumours were intravenously treated with an αvβ3-integrin-ligand-coupled nanoparticle (RGDNP)/RAF(-) complex five times every 72 hours.

Effect of strong fragrance on olfactory detection threshold.

Objective: To assess the olfactory threshold of healthy volunteers at the University College Hospital, Ibadan and to investigate the effect of perfume on their olfactory detection thresholds.

Study Design: A quasi-experimental study on olfactory detection thresholds of healthy volunteers from September 2013 to November 2013.

Setting: Tertiary health institution.

Smell and taste in patients with vascular malformation of the extracranial head and neck region.

Background: Olfactory and gustatory functions have not been investigated in patients with vascular malformation of the extracranial head and neck region with validated smell and taste tests. Although olfactory and gustatory deficiencies are often not outwardly apparent, they substantially affect daily life.

Methods: Smell and taste tests using sniffin sticks and taste strips were administered in 40 patients.

Is routine audiometric evaluation necessary in gynaecologic tumour patients undergoing chemotherapy?

Background: Our objective was to assess the auditory function of gynaecological tumour patients who had received cytotoxic agents and to determine their associated risk of ototoxicity.

Patients And Methods: 87 patients who had undergone chemotherapy for gynaecological malignancies were investigated. Of these patients, 79% had breast cancer, and 14% ovarian cancer.

Smell and taste in patients with vascular malformation of the extracranial head and neck region.

Background: Olfactory and gustatory functions have not been investigated in patients with vascular malformation of the extracranial head and neck region with validated smell and taste tests. Although olfactory and gustatory deficiencies are often not outwardly apparent, they substantially affect daily life.

Methods: Smell and taste tests using sniffin sticks and taste strips were administered in 40 patients.

Detection of micrometastases of squamous cell carcinoma tumor cells in muscle tissue.

The aim of this study was to evaluate microarray technology in the detection of micrometastases of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in muscle tissue. Three hundred SCCVII tumor cells were injected intramuscularly into the right flank of ten C3H/Km mice. One week later, the animals were euthanized and the muscle tissue was taken out.

Smell and taste in inflammatory bowel disease.

Objective: To investigate the olfactory/gustatory functions of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) by smell/taste tests, and to determine if disease activity or medication might influence the olfactory/gustatory functions of patients.

Patients And Methods: In total, 59 IBD patients (37 Crohn's disease (CD) and 22 ulcerative colitis (UC) patients) were studied using "Sniffin' sticks" and "taste strips" for olfactory and gustatory tests, respectively, and compared to healthy controls and published normative data.

Results: Among IBD (CD and UC) patients, the values for odor threshold, but not for odor identification or discrimination, were significantly lower than that of the normative data.

Imaging of firefly luciferase activity under antiangiogenic therapy in a heat shock protein 70-transfected melanoma tumor model.

We investigated the effect of targeted gene therapy on heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) expression in a melanoma tumor model (M21). M21 cells transfected with a plasmid containing the firefly luciferase reporter gene (ffluc), whose expression is driven by the hsp70 (hspa1b) or the cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter, were grown to a size of 600 mm3. Five animals in each group were intravenously treated with an Arg-Gly-Asp peptide-nanoparticle/Raf-1 kinase inhibitor protein [RGD-NP/RAF(-)] complex.

Does hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia affect olfactory or gustatory function?

Background: The olfactory and gustatory functions of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) patients have not been documented by validated tests. Disorders of the nasal/oral cavity may interfere with the olfactory and gustatory functions. Fifty-four HHT patients were investigated by smell/taste tests.

In vivo monitoring of antiangiogenic therapy by magnetic resonance and bioluminescence imaging in an M21 tumor model through activation of an hsp70 promoter-luciferase reporter construct.

We have investigated the effect of targeted gene therapy on the melanoma cell line M21, using a combination of bioluminescence imaging (BLI) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). M21 cells transfected with a plasmid containing either an hsp70 (Hspa1b) or a CMV promoter fragment, along with the luciferase reporter gene, were grown to a tumor size of 900 mm(3) . Five mice in each group were intravenously treated every 72 h with a complex consisting of a nanoparticle, an Arg-Gly-Asp-peptide, and a dominant negative mutant protein kinase inhibitor gene.

Effect of antiangiogenic therapy on luciferase activity in a cytomegalovirus- or HSP70-promoter-transfected M21 tumor model.

We investigated the effect of targeted gene therapy on heat shock protein 70 expression (Hsp70) and protein production (HSP70) in a melanoma tumor model (M21; M21-L). M21 and M21-L cells transfected with a plasmid containing the Hsp70 (Hspa1b) or the cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter and the luciferase reporter gene were injected into mice; the resulting tumors grew to a size of 650 mm(3). Mice (five per group) were intravenously treated with an Arg-Gly-Asp peptide-nanoparticle/Raf-1 kinase inhibitor protein complex [RGD-NP/RAF(-)] or with a nanoparticle control.

Effect of platinum-containing chemotherapy on olfactory, gustatory, and hearing function in ovarian cancer patients.

Purpose: Most patients with epithelial ovarian cancer have a poor overall prognosis. Therefore, one of the main therapeutic aims after cytoreductive surgery for these patients is to identify, delay and relieve chemotherapy-induced side effects and optimise the quality of life, especially after first-line therapy.

Methods: Twelve ovarian cancer patients undergoing carboplatinum-containing chemotherapy were assessed using validated tests for olfactory, gustatory, and hearing functions before, during, immediately after, and 3 months after chemotherapy.

Novel approach to complex pulmonary arteriovenous malformation embolization using detachable coils and Amplatzer vascular plugs.

Introduction: We evaluated the feasibility of a modified embolization technique of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVM) using venous sac embolization with detachable coils combined with the feeding artery embolization with the Amplatzer vascular plug (AVP).

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively studied technical and clinical success in the treatment of 11 complexe PAVMs. We recorded number and size of feeding arteries and draining vein, the last prior and post treatment in the follow up CT, size of PAVMs; and the number of devices needed to occlude each PAVM.

Gene expression analysis of SCC tumor cells in muscle tissue.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate microarray technology of HNSCC cells in muscle tissue. 200 SCCVII tumor cells were injected intramuscularly into the right flank of ten C3H/Km mice each. One week later the animals were killed and the tissue taken out.

Evaluation of contrast medium enhancement and [(18)F]-FDG uptake of liver metastasis in PET/CT prior to therapy.

Objective: To evaluate the contrast medium enhancement and [(18)F]-FDG uptake of liver metastases in patients suffering from colon or breast carcinoma prior to therapy.

Material And Methods: PET/CT (Philips Gemini) with 200MBq [(18)F]-FDG and contrast medium was performed in 50 patients with colon and 39 patients with breast carcinoma. Lesions were characterized with the presence or the absence of a rim enhancement.

Functional representation of olfactory impairment in early Alzheimer's disease.

We used [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET analysis to determine performance in different olfactory domains of patients with early AD compared to cognitively healthy subjects, and to map the functional metabolic representation of olfactory impairment in the patient sample. A cohort of patients with early AD (n=24), consisting of 6 subjects with incipient AD and 18 subjects with mild AD, and a control group of 28 age-matched non-demented individuals were assembled. Patients and controls were tested for olfactory performance using the "Sniffin' Sticks" test battery [odor identification (ID), discrimination (DIS) and threshold (THR)], while patients additionally underwent resting state FDG-PET.

Olfactory and gustatory function in irritable bowel syndrome.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common, functional disorder diagnosed by gastroenterologists. It is still unclear whether IBS has a central etiology, e.g.

Taste in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.

In this prospective study we investigated the quantitative and qualitative taste function of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). 29 healthy, elderly subjects, 29 MCI and 30 AD patients were tested using a validated taste test, the "taste strips". Additionally, odor identification, odor discrimination, odor threshold, the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and Apo E epsilon 4 status were examined.

Mechanic effect of pulsed focused ultrasound in tumor and muscle tissue evaluated by MRI, histology, and microarray analysis.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of pulsed high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to tumor and muscle tissue. Pulsed HIFU was applied to tumor and muscle tissue in C3H/Km mice. Three hours after HIFU treatment pre- and post-contrast T1-wt, T2-wt images and a diffusion-wt STEAM-sequence were obtained.

Gustatory and olfactory function in breast cancer patients.

Purpose: Loss of appetite is a common complaint in cancer patients. There is still no overall conclusion whether this symptom might be caused by distorted taste/smell function or by tumor byproducts. This knowledge would be important for adequate patient counseling as well as symptom relief.

Modulation of luciferase activity using high intensity focused ultrasound in combination with bioluminescence imaging, magnetic resonance imaging and histological analysis in muscle tissue.

This study investigates the effect of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to muscle tissue transfected with a luciferase reporter gene under the control of a CMV-promoter. HIFU was applied to the transfected muscle tissue using a dual HIFU system. In a first group four different intensities (802 W/cm2, 1401 W/cm2, 2117 W/cm2, 3067 W/cm2) of continuous HIFU were applied 20 s every other week for four times.