Dysphagia is a big issue for a large number of patients with cerebrovascular and other neurodegenerative diseases. Animal models are essential for understanding the pathophysiology of these conditions and developing effective treatments. In this study, we developed an animal model with attenuated pharyngeal constriction during swallowing using denervation of the pharyngeal branch of the vagus nerve. Our findings suggest that the pharyngeal area and pharyngeal transit duration during the pharyngeal stage of swallowing were increased compared to those in sham-operated and control animals. We investigated the potential of the anti-oxidant Twendee X in preventing oxidative stress caused by denervation-induced muscle damage, which could suppress muscle atrophy. Hence, we tested the effect of oral application of the Twendee X on swallowing function in the dysphagia model animals.

Our results indicate that Twendee X administration resulted in less increase in the pharyngeal area and pharyngeal transit duration compared to those in the dysphagia animal model. The thyropharyngeal muscles were also thicker than those in the nerve-sectioned animals. Overall, our findings suggest that Twendee X may have a possible role in preventing oxidative stress by the denervation of the pharyngeal constrictor muscle, leading to the suppression of denervation-induced muscle atrophy. Further studies are necessary to ascertain the clinical effects of Twendee X on bulbar paralysis in stroke patients. This study provides important insights into the potential use of Twendee X as a treatment for dysphagia patients.