The Role of the Depressor Nasi Septi Muscle in Nasal Air Flow.

BACKGROUND: Musculus depressor septi nasi and its tendon, the dermocartilaginous ligament, play an important role in external nasal valve and nasal respiration. If the ligament is cut during septorhinoplasty operations, nasal functions of the nose and facial expressions are affected. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of M. depressor septi nasi in nasal respiration at open rhinoplasty operations using rhinomanometry and electromyography. METHODS: The study included 29 patients who had only external nasal deformity (nasal hump deformity). All patients underwent open rhinoplasty. The dermocartilaginous ligament of the patients in the study group (DCL + group) was repaired but not in the control group (DCL - group). Rhinomanometry and electromyography were applied to all patients preoperatively and postoperatively. RESULTS: In the DCL - group, right and left nasal airflow values were significantly lower in post-op (562.92 cm3/s and 548.57 cm3/s), whereas right, left, and total nasal resistances were significantly lower in pre-op (0.28 Pa/cm3/s, 0.22 Pa/cm3/s, and 0.11 Pa/cm3/s). Statistically significant differences were not found between rhinomanometric measurements in pre-op and post-op values of the DCL + group. Post-op right, left and mean values of M. depressor septi nasi amplitude in the DCL + group (2.05 mV, 2.0 mV, 2.02 mV) were significantly higher than those in the DCL - group (1.52 mV, 1.61 mV, 1.57 mV). CONCLUSION: Repair of the dermocartilaginous ligament during open rhinoplasty operations enhances nasal respiratory functions by expanding the external nasal valve through M. depressor septi nasi and allows the nose to participate in mimic movements. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

The effects of citicoline and lamotrigine alone and in combination following permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats.

The neuroprotective efficacies of citicoline and lamotrigine, alone and in combination, were investigated in experimental permanent focal ischemia. Seven groups of adult male rats underwent focal cerebral ischemia and were given the following treatments: placebo (P), low and high doses of citicoline (C250 and C500, 250 and 500 mg/kg/day i.p., respectively), low and high doses of lamotrigine (L50 and L100, 50 and 100 mg/kg/day p.o., respectively), and combination regimes of both drugs in low (C250 + L50) and high doses (C500 + L100). Citicoline, but not lamotrigine, exerted neuroprotective efficacy during this acute ischemic stroke model. The citicoline and lamotrigine combination did not provide a significant additive neuroprotective effect.