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Yin Y, Zhu Y, Liu J, Fan Q, Wu X, Zhao S, Wang J, Liu Y, Li Y, Lu W. Long-term spaceflight composite stress induces depressive behaviors in model rats through disrupting hippocampus synaptic plasticity. CNS Neurosci Ther 2024; 30:e14438. [PMID: 37849237 PMCID: PMC10916436 DOI: 10.1111/cns.14438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Long-term spaceflight composite stress (LSCS) can cause adverse effects on human systems, including the central nervous system, which could trigger anxiety and depression. AIMS This study aimed to identify changes in hippocampus synaptic plasticity under LSCS. METHODS The present study simulated the real long-term space station environment by conducting a 42-day experiment that involved simulating microgravity, isolation, noise, circadian rhythm disruptions, and low pressure. The mood and behavior of the rats were assessed by behavior test. Transmission electron microscopy and patch-clamp were used to detect the changes in synapse morphology and electrophysiology, and finally, the expression of NMDA receptor channel proteins was detected by western blotting. RESULTS The results showed that significant weight loss, anxiety, and depressive behaviors in rats were observed after being exposed to LSCS environment for 42 days. The synaptic structure was severely damaged, manifested as an obvious decrease in postsynaptic density thickness and synaptic interface curvature (p < 0.05; p < 0.05, respectively). Meanwhile, LTP was significantly impaired (p < 0.0001), and currents in the NMDAR channel were also significantly reduced (p < 0.0001). Further analysis found that LSCS decreased the expression of two key subtype proteins on this channel. CONCLUSION These results suggested that LSCS-induced depressive behaviors by impairing synaptic plasticity in rat hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi‐Shu Yin
- School of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringHarbin Institute of TechnologyHarbinChina
- School of Medicine and HealthHarbin Institute of TechnologyHarbinChina
- National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Synthesis, Transformation and Separation of Extreme Environmental NutrientsHarbinChina
| | - Yuan‐Bing Zhu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringHarbin Institute of TechnologyHarbinChina
- School of Medicine and HealthHarbin Institute of TechnologyHarbinChina
- National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Synthesis, Transformation and Separation of Extreme Environmental NutrientsHarbinChina
| | - Jun‐Lian Liu
- China Astronaut Research and Training CenterBeijingChina
| | - Quan‐Chun Fan
- China Astronaut Research and Training CenterBeijingChina
| | - Xiao‐Rui Wu
- China Astronaut Research and Training CenterBeijingChina
| | - Shuang Zhao
- China Astronaut Research and Training CenterBeijingChina
| | - Jia‐Ping Wang
- China Astronaut Research and Training CenterBeijingChina
| | - Yu Liu
- China Astronaut Research and Training CenterBeijingChina
| | - Yong‐Zhi Li
- China Astronaut Research and Training CenterBeijingChina
| | - Wei‐Hong Lu
- School of Medicine and HealthHarbin Institute of TechnologyHarbinChina
- National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Synthesis, Transformation and Separation of Extreme Environmental NutrientsHarbinChina
- The Intelligent Equipment Research Center for the Exploitation of Characteristic Food & Medicine Resources, Chongqing Research Institute, Harbin Institute of TechnologyChongqingChina
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2
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Rabin BM, Miller MG, Shukitt-Hale B. Effects of preexposure to a subthreshold dose of helium particles on the changes in performance produced by exposure to helium particles. LIFE SCIENCES IN SPACE RESEARCH 2023; 37:88-96. [PMID: 37087183 DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2023.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
On exploratory class missions, such as a mission to Mars, astronauts will be exposed to doses of particles of high energy and charge and protons up to 30 - 40 cGy. These exposures will most likely occur at random intervals across the estimated 3-yr duration of the mission. As such, the possibility of an interaction between particles must be taken into account: a prior subthreshold exposure to one particle may prevent or minimize the effect of a subsequent exposure (adaptation), or there may be an additive effect such that the prior exposure may sensitize the individual to a subsequent exposure of the same or different radiations. Two identical replications were run in which rats were exposed to a below threshold dose of 4He particles and 2, 24 or 72 h later given either a second below threshold or an above threshold dose of 4He particles and tested for performance on an operant task. The results indicate that preexposure to a subthreshold dose of 4He particles can either sensitize or attenuate the effects of the subsequent dose, depending upon the interval between exposures and the doses. These results suggest that exposure to multiple doses of heavy particles may have implications for astronaut health on exploratory class missions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard M Rabin
- Department of Psychology, UMBC, Baltimore, MD 21250, United States of America.
| | - Marshall G Miller
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute and Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke Univ., Durham, NC 27710, United States of America
| | - Barbara Shukitt-Hale
- Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, USDA, Tufts Univ., Boston, MA 02111, United States of America
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3
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Prelich MT, Matar M, Gokoglu SA, Gallo CA, Schepelmann A, Iqbal AK, Lewandowski BE, Britten RA, Prabhu RK, Myers JG. Predicting Space Radiation Single Ion Exposure in Rodents: A Machine Learning Approach. Front Syst Neurosci 2021; 15:715433. [PMID: 34720896 PMCID: PMC8555470 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2021.715433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This study presents a data-driven machine learning approach to predict individual Galactic Cosmic Radiation (GCR) ion exposure for 4He, 16O, 28Si, 48Ti, or 56Fe up to 150 mGy, based on Attentional Set-shifting (ATSET) experimental tests. The ATSET assay consists of a series of cognitive performance tasks on irradiated male Wistar rats. The GCR ion doses represent the expected cumulative radiation astronauts may receive during a Mars mission on an individual ion basis. The primary objective is to synthesize and assess predictive models on a per-subject level through Machine Learning (ML) classifiers. The raw cognitive performance data from individual rodent subjects are used as features to train the models and to explore the capabilities of three different ML techniques for elucidating a range of correlations between received radiation on rodents and their performance outcomes. The analysis employs scores of selected input features and different normalization approaches which yield varying degrees of model performance. The current study shows that support vector machine, Gaussian naive Bayes, and random forest models are capable of predicting individual ion exposure using ATSET scores where corresponding Matthews correlation coefficients and F1 scores reflect model performance exceeding random chance. The study suggests a decremental effect on cognitive performance in rodents due to ≤150 mGy of single ion exposure, inasmuch as the models can discriminate between 0 mGy and any exposure level in the performance score feature space. A number of observations about the utility and limitations in specific normalization routines and evaluation scores are examined as well as best practices for ML with imbalanced datasets observed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mona Matar
- NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | | | | | | | - Asad K Iqbal
- ZIN Technologies, Inc., Cleveland, OH, United States
| | | | - Richard A Britten
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, United States
| | - R K Prabhu
- Universities Space Research Association, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Jerry G Myers
- NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH, United States
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4
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Soler I, Yun S, Reynolds RP, Whoolery CW, Tran FH, Kumar PL, Rong Y, DeSalle MJ, Gibson AD, Stowe AM, Kiffer FC, Eisch AJ. Multi-Domain Touchscreen-Based Cognitive Assessment of C57BL/6J Female Mice Shows Whole-Body Exposure to 56Fe Particle Space Radiation in Maturity Improves Discrimination Learning Yet Impairs Stimulus-Response Rule-Based Habit Learning. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:722780. [PMID: 34707486 PMCID: PMC8543003 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.722780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Astronauts during interplanetary missions will be exposed to galactic cosmic radiation, including charged particles like 56Fe. Most preclinical studies with mature, "astronaut-aged" rodents suggest space radiation diminishes performance in classical hippocampal- and prefrontal cortex-dependent tasks. However, a rodent cognitive touchscreen battery unexpectedly revealed 56Fe radiation improves the performance of C57BL/6J male mice in a hippocampal-dependent task (discrimination learning) without changing performance in a striatal-dependent task (rule-based learning). As there are conflicting results on whether the female rodent brain is preferentially injured by or resistant to charged particle exposure, and as the proportion of female vs. male astronauts is increasing, further study on how charged particles influence the touchscreen cognitive performance of female mice is warranted. We hypothesized that, similar to mature male mice, mature female C57BL/6J mice exposed to fractionated whole-body 56Fe irradiation (3 × 6.7cGy 56Fe over 5 days, 600 MeV/n) would improve performance vs. Sham conditions in touchscreen tasks relevant to hippocampal and prefrontal cortical function [e.g., location discrimination reversal (LDR) and extinction, respectively]. In LDR, 56Fe female mice more accurately discriminated two discrete conditioned stimuli relative to Sham mice, suggesting improved hippocampal function. However, 56Fe and Sham female mice acquired a new simple stimulus-response behavior and extinguished this acquired behavior at similar rates, suggesting similar prefrontal cortical function. Based on prior work on multiple memory systems, we next tested whether improved hippocampal-dependent function (discrimination learning) came at the expense of striatal stimulus-response rule-based habit learning (visuomotor conditional learning). Interestingly, 56Fe female mice took more days to reach criteria in this striatal-dependent rule-based test relative to Sham mice. Together, our data support the idea of competition between memory systems, as an 56Fe-induced decrease in striatal-based learning is associated with enhanced hippocampal-based learning. These data emphasize the power of using a touchscreen-based battery to advance our understanding of the effects of space radiation on mission critical cognitive function in females, and underscore the importance of preclinical space radiation risk studies measuring multiple cognitive processes, thereby preventing NASA's risk assessments from being based on a single cognitive domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Soler
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Sanghee Yun
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Ryan P. Reynolds
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Cody W. Whoolery
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Fionya H. Tran
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Priya L. Kumar
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Yuying Rong
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Matthew J. DeSalle
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Adam D. Gibson
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Ann M. Stowe
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Therapeutics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Frederico C. Kiffer
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Amelia J. Eisch
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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Britten RA, Wellman LL, Sanford LD. Progressive increase in the complexity and translatability of rodent testing to assess space-radiation induced cognitive impairment. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 126:159-174. [PMID: 33766676 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.01.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Ground-based rodent models have established that space radiation doses (approximately those that astronauts will be exposed to on a mission to Mars) significantly impair performance in a wide range of cognitive tasks. Over the last 40 years there has been a progressive increase in both the complexity and the translatability (to humans) of the cognitive tasks investigated. This review outlines technical and conceptual advances in space radiation rodent testing approaches, along with the advances in analytical approaches, that will make data from ground based studies more amenable to probabilistic risk analysis. While great progress has been made in determining the impact of space radiation on many advanced cognitive processes, challenges remain that need to be addressed prior to commencing deep space missions. A summary of on-going attempts to address existing knowledge gaps and the critical role that rodent studies will have in establishing the impact of space radiation on even more complex (human) cognitive tasks are presented and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard A Britten
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, 23507, USA; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Cell Biology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, 23507, USA; Leroy T Canoles Jr. Cancer Center, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, 23507, USA; Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Inflammatory Diseases, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, 23507, USA.
| | - Laurie L Wellman
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Inflammatory Diseases, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, 23507, USA; Department of Pathology & Anatomy, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, 23507, USA
| | - Larry D Sanford
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Inflammatory Diseases, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, 23507, USA; Department of Pathology & Anatomy, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, 23507, USA
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6
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Cahoon DS, Shukitt-Hale B, Bielinski DF, Hawkins EM, Cacioppo AM, Rabin BM. Effects of partial- or whole-body exposures to 56Fe particles on brain function and cognitive performance in rats. LIFE SCIENCES IN SPACE RESEARCH 2020; 27:56-63. [PMID: 34756230 DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2020.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
On exploratory class missions, such as a mission to Mars, astronauts will be exposed to particles of high energy and charge (HZE particles). Exposure to HZE particles produces changes in neuronal function and can disrupt cognitive performance. Cells throughout the entire body, not just the brain, will be impacted by these particles. To determine the possible effects that irradiation of the body might have on neuronal function and cognitive performance, rats were given head-only, body-only or whole-body exposures to 56Fe particles. Cognitive performance (novel object recognition, operant responding) was tested in one set of animals; changes in brain function (oxidative stress, neuroinflammation) was tested in a second set of rats. The results indicated that there were no consistent differences in either behavioral or neurochemical endpoints as a function of the location of the irradiation. These results suggest that radiation to the body can impact the brain, therefore it may be necessary to re-evaluate the estimates of the risk of HZE particle-induced changes in neuronal function and cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle S Cahoon
- USDA-ARS, Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts Univ., Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | - Barbara Shukitt-Hale
- USDA-ARS, Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts Univ., Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | - Donna F Bielinski
- USDA-ARS, Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts Univ., Boston, MA 02111, USA
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7
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Whoolery CW, Yun S, Reynolds RP, Lucero MJ, Soler I, Tran FH, Ito N, Redfield RL, Richardson DR, Shih HY, Rivera PD, Chen BPC, Birnbaum SG, Stowe AM, Eisch AJ. Multi-domain cognitive assessment of male mice shows space radiation is not harmful to high-level cognition and actually improves pattern separation. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2737. [PMID: 32066765 PMCID: PMC7026431 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59419-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Astronauts on interplanetary missions - such as to Mars - will be exposed to space radiation, a spectrum of highly-charged, fast-moving particles that includes 56Fe and 28Si. Earth-based preclinical studies show space radiation decreases rodent performance in low- and some high-level cognitive tasks. Given astronaut use of touchscreen platforms during training and space flight and given the ability of rodent touchscreen tasks to assess functional integrity of brain circuits and multiple cognitive domains in a non-aversive way, here we exposed 6-month-old C57BL/6J male mice to whole-body space radiation and subsequently assessed them on a touchscreen battery. Relative to Sham treatment, 56Fe irradiation did not overtly change performance on tasks of visual discrimination, reversal learning, rule-based, or object-spatial paired associates learning, suggesting preserved functional integrity of supporting brain circuits. Surprisingly, 56Fe irradiation improved performance on a dentate gyrus-reliant pattern separation task; irradiated mice learned faster and were more accurate than controls. Improved pattern separation performance did not appear to be touchscreen-, radiation particle-, or neurogenesis-dependent, as 56Fe and 28Si irradiation led to faster context discrimination in a non-touchscreen task and 56Fe decreased new dentate gyrus neurons relative to Sham. These data urge revisitation of the broadly-held view that space radiation is detrimental to cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody W Whoolery
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Sanghee Yun
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ryan P Reynolds
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Melanie J Lucero
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Ivan Soler
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Fionya H Tran
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Naoki Ito
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Oriental Medicine Research Center, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Rachel L Redfield
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Devon R Richardson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Hung-Ying Shih
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Phillip D Rivera
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Biology, Hope College, Holland, MI, USA
| | - Benjamin P C Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Shari G Birnbaum
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Ann M Stowe
- Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Amelia J Eisch
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Rabin BM, Miller MG, Larsen A, Spadafora C, Zolnerowich NN, Dell'Acqua LA, Shukitt-Hale B. Effects of exposure to 12C and 4He particles on cognitive performance of intact and ovariectomized female rats. LIFE SCIENCES IN SPACE RESEARCH 2019; 22:47-54. [PMID: 31421848 DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2019.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to the types of radiation encountered outside the magnetic field of the earth can disrupt cognitive performance. Exploratory class missions to other planets will include both male and female astronauts. Because estrogen can function as a neuroprotectant, it is possible that female astronauts may be less affected by exposure to space radiation than male astronauts. To evaluate the effectiveness of estrogen to protect against the disruption of cognitive performance by exposure to space radiation intact and ovariectomized female rats with estradiol or vehicle implants were tested on novel object performance and operant responding on an ascending fixed-ratio reinforcement schedule following exposure to 12C (290 MeV/n) or 4He (300 MeV/n) particles. The results indicated that exposure to carbon or helium particles did not disrupt cognitive performance in the intact rats. Estradiol implants in the ovariectomized subjects exacerbated the disruptive effects of space radiation on operant performance. Although estrogen does not appear to function as a neuroprotectant following exposure to space radiation, the present data suggest that intact females may be less responsive to the deleterious effects of exposure to space radiation on cognitive performance, possibly due to the effects of estrogen on cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard M Rabin
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, United States.
| | - Marshall G Miller
- USDA-ARS, Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts Univ., Boston, MA 02111, United States
| | - Alison Larsen
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, United States
| | - Christina Spadafora
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, United States
| | - Nicholas N Zolnerowich
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, United States
| | - Lorraine A Dell'Acqua
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, United States
| | - Barbara Shukitt-Hale
- USDA-ARS, Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts Univ., Boston, MA 02111, United States
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Rabin BM, Poulose SM, Bielinski DF, Shukitt-Hale B. Effects of head-only or whole-body exposure to very low doses of 4He (1000 MeV/n) particles on neuronal function and cognitive performance. LIFE SCIENCES IN SPACE RESEARCH 2019; 20:85-92. [PMID: 30797437 DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2019.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Revised: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
On exploratory class missions, astronauts will be exposed to a range of heavy particles which vary in linear energy transfer (LET). Previous research has shown a direct relationship between particle LET and cognitive performance such that, as particle LET decreases the dose needed to affect cognitive performance also decreases. Because a significant portion of the total dose experienced by astronauts may be expected to come from exposure to low LET 4He particles, it would be important to establish the threshold dose of 4He particles that can produce changes in cognitive performance. The results indicated that changes in neuronal function and cognitive performance could be observed following both head-only and whole-body exposures to 4He particles at doses as low as 0.01-0.025 cGy. These results, therefore, suggest the possibility that astronauts on exploratory class missions may be at a greater risk for HZE-induced deficits than previously anticipated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard M Rabin
- Department of Psychology, UMBC, Baltimore, MD 21250, United States.
| | - Shibu M Poulose
- USDA-ARS, Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts Univ., Boston, MA 02111, United States
| | - Donna F Bielinski
- USDA-ARS, Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts Univ., Boston, MA 02111, United States
| | - Barbara Shukitt-Hale
- USDA-ARS, Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts Univ., Boston, MA 02111, United States
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10
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Kiffer F, Alexander T, Anderson JE, Groves T, Wang J, Sridharan V, Boerma M, Allen AR. Late Effects of 16O-Particle Radiation on Female Social and Cognitive Behavior and Hippocampal Physiology. Radiat Res 2019; 191:278-294. [PMID: 30664396 DOI: 10.1667/rr15092.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The radiation environment in space remains a major concern for manned space exploration, as there is currently no shielding material capable of fully protecting flight crews. Additionally, there is growing concern for the social and cognitive welfare of astronauts, due to prolonged radiation exposure and confinement they will experience on a mission to Mars. In this artice, we report on the late effects of 16O-particle radiation on social and cognitive behavior and neuronal morphology in the hippocampus of adult female mice. Six-month-old mice received 16O-particle whole-body irradiation at doses of either 0.25 or 0.1 Gy (600 MeV/n; 18-33 cGy/min) at the NASA's Space Radiation Laboratory in Upton, NY. At nine months postirradiation, the animals underwent behavioral testing in the three-chamber sociability, novel object recognition and Y-maze paradigms. Exposure to 0.1 or 0.25 Gy 16O significantly impaired object memory, a 0.25 Gy dose impaired social novelty learning, but neither dosage impaired short-term spatial memory. We observed significant decreases in mushroom spine density and dendrite morphology in the dentate gyrus, cornu ammonis 3, 2 and 1 of the hippocampus, which are critical areas for object novelty and sociability processing. Our data suggest exposure to 16O modulates hippocampal pyramidal and granular neurons and induces behavioral deficits at a time point of nine months after exposure in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederico Kiffer
- a Division of Radiation Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205.,b Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205
| | - Tyler Alexander
- a Division of Radiation Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205.,b Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205
| | - Julie E Anderson
- a Division of Radiation Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205.,b Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205
| | - Thomas Groves
- a Division of Radiation Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205.,b Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205.,c Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205
| | - Jing Wang
- a Division of Radiation Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205.,b Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205
| | - Vijayalakshmi Sridharan
- a Division of Radiation Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205.,b Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205
| | - Marjan Boerma
- a Division of Radiation Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205.,b Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205
| | - Antiño R Allen
- a Division of Radiation Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205.,b Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205.,c Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205
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Howe A, Kiffer F, Alexander TC, Sridharan V, Wang J, Ntagwabira F, Rodriguez A, Boerma M, Allen AR. Long-Term Changes in Cognition and Physiology after Low-Dose 16O Irradiation. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20010188. [PMID: 30621014 PMCID: PMC6337104 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20010188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2018] [Revised: 12/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Astronauts traveling to Mars will be exposed to high levels of ionizing radiation upon leaving low-Earth orbit. During prolonged space travel, astronauts are exposed to galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) composed of protons; oxygen molecules; and high energy, high mass charged particles. Notably, oxygen molecules can travel through the shielding of spacecraft, potentially impacting 25% of the hippocampus. The aim of the current study was to assess whether 16O-particle radiation induced a behavioral deficit and histological changes in mice. Mice were sent to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Space Radiation Laboratory at Brookhaven National Laboratory and exposed to particulate 16O radiation at doses of 0 and 0.05 Gy. Nine months after irradiation, the mice were tested for novel object recognition and in the Y-maze, after which the animals were sacrificed. The brains were then dissected along the midsagittal plane for Golgi staining. Exposure to 0.05 Gy significantly impaired novel object recognition. However, short term memory and exploratory activity in the Y-maze were not affected. Micromorphometric analysis revealed significant decreases in mushroom spine density in the dentate gyrus and cornu Ammonis-1 and -3 of the hippocampus. Sholl analysis revealed a significant decrease in dendritic complexity in the dentate gyrus. The present data provide evidence that space radiation has deleterious effects on mature neurons associated with hippocampal learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Howe
- Division of Radiation Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
| | - Frederico Kiffer
- Division of Radiation Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
| | - Tyler C Alexander
- Division of Radiation Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
| | - Vijayalakshmi Sridharan
- Division of Radiation Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
| | - Jing Wang
- Division of Radiation Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
| | - Fabio Ntagwabira
- Neurobiology & Developmental Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
| | - Analiz Rodriguez
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
| | - Marjan Boerma
- Division of Radiation Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
| | - Antiño R Allen
- Division of Radiation Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
- Neurobiology & Developmental Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
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Whole-Body 12C Irradiation Transiently Decreases Mouse Hippocampal Dentate Gyrus Proliferation and Immature Neuron Number, but Does Not Change New Neuron Survival Rate. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19103078. [PMID: 30304778 PMCID: PMC6213859 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19103078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Revised: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
High-charge and -energy (HZE) particles comprise space radiation and they pose a challenge to astronauts on deep space missions. While exposure to most HZE particles decreases neurogenesis in the hippocampus—a brain structure important in memory—prior work suggests that 12C does not. However, much about 12C’s influence on neurogenesis remains unknown, including the time course of its impact on neurogenesis. To address this knowledge gap, male mice (9–11 weeks of age) were exposed to whole-body 12C irradiation 100 cGy (IRR; 1000 MeV/n; 8 kEV/µm) or Sham treatment. To birthdate dividing cells, mice received BrdU i.p. 22 h post-irradiation and brains were harvested 2 h (Short-Term) or three months (Long-Term) later for stereological analysis indices of dentate gyrus neurogenesis. For the Short-Term time point, IRR mice had fewer Ki67, BrdU, and doublecortin (DCX) immunoreactive (+) cells versus Sham mice, indicating decreased proliferation (Ki67, BrdU) and immature neurons (DCX). For the Long-Term time point, IRR and Sham mice had similar Ki67+ and DCX+ cell numbers, suggesting restoration of proliferation and immature neurons 3 months post-12C irradiation. IRR mice had fewer surviving BrdU+ cells versus Sham mice, suggesting decreased cell survival, but there was no difference in BrdU+ cell survival rate when compared within treatment and across time point. These data underscore the ability of neurogenesis in the mouse brain to recover from the detrimental effect of 12C exposure.
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