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McCain ML. Heart-on-a-Chip at the final frontier. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2417412121. [PMID: 39348548 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2417412121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/02/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Megan L McCain
- Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033
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2
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Oommen AM, Stafford P, Joshi L. Profiling muscle transcriptome in mice exposed to microgravity using gene set enrichment analysis. NPJ Microgravity 2024; 10:94. [PMID: 39367013 PMCID: PMC11452717 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-024-00434-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 09/24/2024] [Indexed: 10/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Space exploration's advancement toward long-duration missions prompts intensified research on physiological effects. Despite adaptive physiological stability in some variables, persistent changes affect genome integrity, immune response, and cognitive function. Our study, utilizing multi-omics data from GeneLab, provides crucial insights investigating muscle atrophy during space mission. Leveraging NASA GeneLab's data resources, we apply systems biology-based analyses, facilitating comprehensive understanding and enabling meta-analysis. Through transcriptomics, we establish a reference profile of biological processes underlying muscle atrophy, crucial for intervention development. We emphasize the often-overlooked role of glycosylation in muscle atrophy. Our research sheds light on fundamental molecular mechanisms, bridging gaps between space research and terrestrial conditions. This study underscores the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and data-sharing initiatives like GeneLab in advancing space medicine research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anup Mammen Oommen
- Advanced Glycoscience Research Cluster (AGRC), University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Phillip Stafford
- Arizona State University, School of Life Sciences, Biodesign Institute, Arizona, USA
| | - Lokesh Joshi
- Advanced Glycoscience Research Cluster (AGRC), University of Galway, Galway, Ireland.
- Aquila Bioscience, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland.
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3
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Itkin T, Unger K, Barak Y, Yovel A, Stekolshchik L, Ego L, Aydinov Y, Gerchman Y, Sapir A. Exploiting the Unique Biology of Caenorhabditis elegans to Launch Neurodegeneration Studies in Space. ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:579-589. [PMID: 38917419 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2023.0096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
The 21st century is likely to be the first century in which large-scale short- and long-term space missions become common. Accordingly, an ever-increasing body of research is focusing on understanding the effects of current and future space expeditions on human physiology in health and disease. Yet the complex experimental environment, the small number of participants, and the high cost of space missions are among the primary factors that hinder a better understanding of the impact of space missions on human physiology. The goal of our research was to develop a cost-effective, compact, and easy-to-manipulate system to address questions related to human health and disease in space. This initiative was part of the Ramon SpaceLab program, an annual research-based learning program designed to cultivate high school students' involvement in space exploration by facilitating experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS). In the present study, we used the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), a well-suited model organism, to investigate the effect of space missions on neurodegeneration-related processes. Our study specifically focused on the level of aggregation of Huntington's disease-causing polyglutamine stretch-containing (PolyQ) proteins in C. elegans muscles, the canonical system for studying neurodegeneration in this organism. We compared animals expressing PolyQ proteins grown onboard the ISS with their genetically identical siblings grown on Earth and observed a significant difference in the number of aggregates between the two populations. Currently, it is challenging to determine whether this effect stems from developmental or morphological differences between the cultures or is a result of life in space. Nevertheless, our results serve as a proof of concept and open a new avenue for utilizing C. elegans to address various open questions in space studies, including the effects of space conditions on the onset and development of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatyana Itkin
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Program, Shakim High School, Nahariya, Israel
| | - Ksenia Unger
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Program, Shakim High School, Nahariya, Israel
| | - Yair Barak
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Program, Shakim High School, Nahariya, Israel
| | - Amit Yovel
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Program, Shakim High School, Nahariya, Israel
| | - Liya Stekolshchik
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Program, Shakim High School, Nahariya, Israel
| | - Linoy Ego
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Program, Shakim High School, Nahariya, Israel
| | - Yana Aydinov
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Program, Shakim High School, Nahariya, Israel
| | - Yoram Gerchman
- Department of Biology and the Environment, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Institute of Evolution, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Oranim Academic College, Kiryat Tivon, Israel
| | - Amir Sapir
- Department of Biology and the Environment, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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4
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Li Z, Wu J, Zhao T, Wei Y, Xu Y, Liu Z, Li X, Chen X. Microglial activation in spaceflight and microgravity: potential risk of cognitive dysfunction and poor neural health. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1296205. [PMID: 38425432 PMCID: PMC10902453 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1296205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Due to the increased crewed spaceflights in recent years, it is vital to understand how the space environment affects human health. A lack of gravitational force is known to risk multiple physiological functions of astronauts, particularly damage to the central nervous system (CNS). As innate immune cells of the CNS, microglia can transition from a quiescent state to a pathological state, releasing pro-inflammatory cytokines that contribute to neuroinflammation. There are reports indicating that microglia can be activated by simulating microgravity or exposure to galactic cosmic rays (GCR). Consequently, microglia may play a role in the development of neuroinflammation during spaceflight. Prolonged spaceflight sessions raise concerns about the chronic activation of microglia, which could give rise to various neurological disorders, posing concealed risks to the neural health of astronauts. This review summarizes the risks associated with neural health owing to microglial activation and explores the stressors that trigger microglial activation in the space environment. These stressors include GCR, microgravity, and exposure to isolation and stress. Of particular focus is the activation of microglia under microgravity conditions, along with the proposal of a potential mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihan Li
- Beijing International Science and Technology Cooperation Base for Antiviral Drugs, College of Chemistry and Life Science, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Jiarui Wu
- Beijing International Science and Technology Cooperation Base for Antiviral Drugs, College of Chemistry and Life Science, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Tianyuan Zhao
- Beijing International Science and Technology Cooperation Base for Antiviral Drugs, College of Chemistry and Life Science, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Yiyun Wei
- Beijing International Science and Technology Cooperation Base for Antiviral Drugs, College of Chemistry and Life Science, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Yajing Xu
- Beijing International Science and Technology Cooperation Base for Antiviral Drugs, College of Chemistry and Life Science, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Zongjian Liu
- Department of Rehabilitation, Beijing Rehabilitation Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoqiong Li
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Xuechai Chen
- Beijing International Science and Technology Cooperation Base for Antiviral Drugs, College of Chemistry and Life Science, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, China
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5
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Bukreeva I, Gulimova VI, Krivonosov YS, Buzmakov AV, Junemann O, Cedola A, Fratini M, Maugeri L, Begani Provinciali G, Palermo F, Sanna A, Pieroni N, Asadchikov VE, Saveliev SV. The Study of the Caudal Vertebrae of Thick-Toed Geckos after a Prolonged Space Flight by X-ray Phase-Contrast Micro-CT. Cells 2023; 12:2415. [PMID: 37830629 PMCID: PMC10572532 DOI: 10.3390/cells12192415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The proximal caudal vertebrae and notochord in thick-toed geckos (TG) (Chondrodactylus turneri, Gray, 1864) were investigated after a 30-day space flight onboard the biosatellite Bion-M1. This region has not been explored in previous studies. Our research focused on finding sites most affected by demineralization caused by microgravity (G0). We used X-ray phase-contrast tomography to study TG samples without invasive prior preparation to clarify our previous findings on the resistance of TG's bones to demineralization in G0. The results of the present study confirmed that geckos are capable of preserving bone mass after flight, as neither cortical nor trabecular bone volume fraction showed statistically significant changes after flight. On the other hand, we observed a clear decrease in the mineralization of the notochordal septum and a substantial rise in intercentrum volume following the flight. To monitor TG's mineral metabolism in G0, we propose to measure the volume of mineralized tissue in the notochordal septum. This technique holds promise as a sensitive approach to track the demineralization process in G0, given that the volume of calcification within the septum is limited, making it easy to detect even slight changes in mineral content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inna Bukreeva
- Institute of Nanotechnology, CNR, Rome Unit, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (I.B.); (O.J.); (A.C.); (M.F.)
- P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskiy Prospekt 53, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Victoria I. Gulimova
- Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology of Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution, “Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery”, Tsyurupy Str. 3, 117418 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Yuri S. Krivonosov
- Federal Scientific Research Centre “Crystallography and Photonics”, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskiy Prospekt 59, 119333 Moscow, Russia (V.E.A.)
| | - Alexey V. Buzmakov
- Federal Scientific Research Centre “Crystallography and Photonics”, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskiy Prospekt 59, 119333 Moscow, Russia (V.E.A.)
| | - Olga Junemann
- Institute of Nanotechnology, CNR, Rome Unit, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (I.B.); (O.J.); (A.C.); (M.F.)
- Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology of Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution, “Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery”, Tsyurupy Str. 3, 117418 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Alessia Cedola
- Institute of Nanotechnology, CNR, Rome Unit, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (I.B.); (O.J.); (A.C.); (M.F.)
| | - Michela Fratini
- Institute of Nanotechnology, CNR, Rome Unit, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (I.B.); (O.J.); (A.C.); (M.F.)
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306/354, 00142 Roma, Italy
| | - Laura Maugeri
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306/354, 00142 Roma, Italy
| | - Ginevra Begani Provinciali
- Institute of Nanotechnology, CNR, Rome Unit, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (I.B.); (O.J.); (A.C.); (M.F.)
- Physics Department, ‘Sapienza’ University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 2, 00185 Rome, Italy
- Laboratoire d’Optique Appliquée, CNRS, ENSTA Paris, Ecole Polytechnique IP Paris, 91120 Palaiseau, France
| | - Francesca Palermo
- Institute of Nanotechnology, CNR, Rome Unit, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (I.B.); (O.J.); (A.C.); (M.F.)
| | - Alessia Sanna
- Institute of Nanotechnology, CNR, Rome Unit, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (I.B.); (O.J.); (A.C.); (M.F.)
| | - Nicola Pieroni
- Institute of Nanotechnology, CNR, Rome Unit, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (I.B.); (O.J.); (A.C.); (M.F.)
| | - Victor E. Asadchikov
- Federal Scientific Research Centre “Crystallography and Photonics”, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskiy Prospekt 59, 119333 Moscow, Russia (V.E.A.)
| | - Sergey V. Saveliev
- Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology of Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution, “Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery”, Tsyurupy Str. 3, 117418 Moscow, Russia;
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6
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Song C, Kang T, Gao K, Shi X, Zhang M, Zhao L, Zhou L, Guo J. Preparation for mice spaceflight: Indications for training C57BL/6J mice to adapt to microgravity effect with three-dimensional clinostat on the ground. Heliyon 2023; 9:e19355. [PMID: 37662714 PMCID: PMC10472007 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Like astronauts, animals need to undergo training and screening before entering space. At present, pre-launch training for mice mainly focuses on adaptation to habitat system. Training for the weightless environment of space in mice has not received much attention. Three-dimensional (3D) clinostat is a method to simulate the effects of microgravity on Earth. However, few studies have used a 3D clinostat apparatus to simulate the effects of microgravity on animal models. Therefore, we conducted a study to evaluate the feasibility and effects of long-term treatment with three-dimensional clinostat in C57BL/6 J mice. Thirty 8-week-old male C57BL/6 J mice were randomly assigned to three groups: mice in individually ventilated cages (MC group, n = 6), mice in survival boxes (SB group, n = 12), and mice in survival boxes receiving 3D clinostat treatment (CS group, n = 12). The mice showed good tolerance after 12 weeks of alternate day training. To evaluate the biological effects of simulated microgravity, the changes in serum metabolites were monitored using untargeted metabolomics, whereas bone loss was assessed using microcomputed tomography of the left femur. Compared with the metabolome of the SB group, the metabolome of the CS group showed significant differences during the first three weeks and the last three weeks. The KEGG pathways in the late stages were mainly related to the nervous system, indicating the influence of long-term microgravity on the central nervous system. Besides, a marked reduction in the trabecular number (P < 0.05) and an increasing trend of trabecular spacing (P < 0.1) were observed to occur in a time-dependent manner in the CS group compared with the SB group. These results showed that mice tolerated well in a 3D clinostat and may provide a new strategy in pre-launch training for mice and conducting relevant ground-based modeling experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenchen Song
- Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Taisheng Kang
- Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Kai Gao
- Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xudong Shi
- Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Meng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Lianlian Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Li Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jianguo Guo
- Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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7
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Bedree JK, Kerns K, Chen T, Lima BP, Liu G, Ha P, Shi J, Pan HC, Kim JK, Tran L, Minot SS, Hendrickson EL, Lamont EI, Schulte F, Hardt M, Stephens D, Patel M, Kokaras A, Stodieck L, Shirazi-Fard Y, Wu B, Kwak JH, Ting K, Soo C, McLean JS, He X, Shi W. Specific host metabolite and gut microbiome alterations are associated with bone loss during spaceflight. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112299. [PMID: 37080202 PMCID: PMC10344367 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the axis of the human microbiome and physiological homeostasis is an essential task in managing deep-space-travel-associated health risks. The NASA-led Rodent Research 5 mission enabled an ancillary investigation of the gut microbiome, varying exposure to microgravity (flight) relative to ground controls in the context of previously shown bone mineral density (BMD) loss that was observed in these flight groups. We demonstrate elevated abundance of Lactobacillus murinus and Dorea sp. during microgravity exposure relative to ground control through whole-genome sequencing and 16S rRNA analyses. Specific functionally assigned gene clusters of L. murinus and Dorea sp. capable of producing metabolites, lactic acid, leucine/isoleucine, and glutathione are enriched. These metabolites are elevated in the microgravity-exposed host serum as shown by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) metabolomic analysis. Along with BMD loss, ELISA reveals increases in osteocalcin and reductions in tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b signifying additional loss of bone homeostasis in flight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph K Bedree
- Section of Oral Biology, Division of Oral Biology and Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Microbiology, The Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Kristopher Kerns
- Department of Periodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Tsute Chen
- Department of Microbiology, The Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Oral Medicine, Infection and Immunity, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Bruno P Lima
- Department of Diagnostic and Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Guo Liu
- Section of Oral Biology, Division of Oral Biology and Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Pin Ha
- Section of Orthodontics, Division of Growth & Development, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jiayu Shi
- Section of Oral Biology, Division of Oral Biology and Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Hsin Chuan Pan
- Section of Oral Biology, Division of Oral Biology and Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jong Kil Kim
- Section of Oral Biology, Division of Oral Biology and Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Luan Tran
- Section of Oral Biology, Division of Oral Biology and Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Samuel S Minot
- Microbiome Research Initiative, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Erik L Hendrickson
- Department of Periodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Eleanor I Lamont
- Department of Periodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Fabian Schulte
- Forsyth Center for Salivary Diagnostics, Department of Applied Oral Sciences, The Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Department of Developmental Biology, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Markus Hardt
- Forsyth Center for Salivary Diagnostics, Department of Applied Oral Sciences, The Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Department of Developmental Biology, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Danielle Stephens
- Multiplex Core, Department of Applied Oral Sciences, The Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Michele Patel
- Multiplex Core, Department of Applied Oral Sciences, The Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Alexis Kokaras
- Department of Microbiology, The Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Louis Stodieck
- BioServe Space Technologies, Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - Yasaman Shirazi-Fard
- Bone and Signaling Laboratory, Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Mail Stop 288-2, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Benjamin Wu
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Division of Advanced Prosthodontics, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jin Hee Kwak
- Section of Orthodontics, Division of Growth & Development, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Kang Ting
- Section of Orthodontics, Division of Growth & Development, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Chia Soo
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Orthopedic Surgery, School of Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jeffrey S McLean
- Department of Periodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Xuesong He
- Department of Microbiology, The Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Oral Medicine, Infection and Immunity, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Wenyuan Shi
- Department of Microbiology, The Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
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8
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Sanders LM, Scott RT, Yang JH, Qutub AA, Garcia Martin H, Berrios DC, Hastings JJA, Rask J, Mackintosh G, Hoarfrost AL, Chalk S, Kalantari J, Khezeli K, Antonsen EL, Babdor J, Barker R, Baranzini SE, Beheshti A, Delgado-Aparicio GM, Glicksberg BS, Greene CS, Haendel M, Hamid AA, Heller P, Jamieson D, Jarvis KJ, Komarova SV, Komorowski M, Kothiyal P, Mahabal A, Manor U, Mason CE, Matar M, Mias GI, Miller J, Myers JG, Nelson C, Oribello J, Park SM, Parsons-Wingerter P, Prabhu RK, Reynolds RJ, Saravia-Butler A, Saria S, Sawyer A, Singh NK, Snyder M, Soboczenski F, Soman K, Theriot CA, Van Valen D, Venkateswaran K, Warren L, Worthey L, Zitnik M, Costes SV. Biological research and self-driving labs in deep space supported by artificial intelligence. NAT MACH INTELL 2023. [DOI: 10.1038/s42256-023-00618-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/28/2023]
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9
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Tiemann I, Fijn LB, Bagaria M, Langen EMA, van der Staay FJ, Arndt SS, Leenaars C, Goerlich VC. Glucocorticoids in relation to behavior, morphology, and physiology as proxy indicators for the assessment of animal welfare. A systematic mapping review. Front Vet Sci 2023; 9:954607. [PMID: 36686168 PMCID: PMC9853183 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.954607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Translating theoretical concepts of animal welfare into quantitative assessment protocols is an ongoing challenge. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are frequently used as physiological measure in welfare assessment. The interpretation of levels of GCs and especially their relation to welfare, however, is not as straightforward, questioning the informative power of GCs. The aim of this systematic mapping review was therefore to provide an overview of the relevant literature to identify global patterns in studies using GCs as proxy for the assessment of welfare of vertebrate species. Following a systematic protocol and a-priory inclusion criteria, 509 studies with 517 experiments were selected for data extraction. The outcome of the experiments was categorized based on whether the intervention significantly affected levels of GCs, and whether these effects were accompanied by changes in behavior, morphology and physiology. Additional information, such as animal species, type of intervention, experimental set up and sample type used for GC determination was extracted, as well. Given the broad scope and large variation in included experiments, meta-analyses were not performed, but outcomes are presented to encourage further, in-depth analyses of the data set. The interventions did not consistently lead to changes in GCs with respect to the original authors hypothesis. Changes in GCs were not consistently paralleled by changes in additional assessment parameter on behavior, morphology and physiology. The minority of experiment quantified GCs in less invasive sample matrices compared to blood. Interventions showed a large variability, and species such as fish were underrepresented, especially in the assessment of behavior. The inconclusive effects on GCs and additional assessment parameter urges for further validation of techniques and welfare proxies. Several conceptual and technical challenges need to be met to create standardized and robust welfare assessment protocols and to determine the role of GCs herein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inga Tiemann
- Faculty of Agriculture, Institute of Agricultural Engineering, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany,*Correspondence: Inga Tiemann ✉
| | - Lisa B. Fijn
- Division of Animals in Science and Society, Department of Population Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Marc Bagaria
- Division of Animals in Science and Society, Department of Population Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Esther M. A. Langen
- Division of Animals in Science and Society, Department of Population Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - F. Josef van der Staay
- Division of Farm Animal Health, Behaviour and Welfare Group, Department of Population Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Saskia S. Arndt
- Division of Animals in Science and Society, Department of Population Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Cathalijn Leenaars
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Vivian C. Goerlich
- Division of Animals in Science and Society, Department of Population Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
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10
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Seoane-Viaño I, Ong JJ, Basit AW, Goyanes A. To infinity and beyond: Strategies for fabricating medicines in outer space. Int J Pharm X 2022; 4:100121. [PMID: 35782363 PMCID: PMC9240807 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpx.2022.100121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent advancements in next generation spacecrafts have reignited public excitement over life beyond Earth. However, to safeguard the health and safety of humans in the hostile environment of space, innovation in pharmaceutical manufacturing and drug delivery deserves urgent attention. In this review/commentary, the current state of medicines provision in space is explored, accompanied by a forward look on the future of pharmaceutical manufacturing in outer space. The hazards associated with spaceflight, and their corresponding medical problems, are first briefly discussed. Subsequently, the infeasibility of present-day medicines provision systems for supporting deep space exploration is examined. The existing knowledge gaps on the altered clinical effects of medicines in space are evaluated, and suggestions are provided on how clinical trials in space might be conducted. An envisioned model of on-site production and delivery of medicines in space is proposed, referencing emerging technologies (e.g. Chemputing, synthetic biology, and 3D printing) being developed on Earth that may be adapted for extra-terrestrial use. This review concludes with a critical analysis on the regulatory considerations necessary to facilitate the adoption of these technologies and proposes a framework by which these may be enforced. In doing so, this commentary aims to instigate discussions on the pharmaceutical needs of deep space exploration, and strategies on how these may be met. Space is a hostile environment that threatens human health and drug stability. Data on the behaviour of medicines in space is critical but lacking. Novel drug manufacturing and delivery strategies are needed to safeguard crewmembers’ safety. Chemputing, synthetic biology, and 3D printing are examples of such emerging technologies. A regulatory framework for space medicines must be implemented to assure quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iria Seoane-Viaño
- Department of Pharmaceutics, UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK
- Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, Paraquasil Group (GI-2109), Faculty of Pharmacy, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela 15782, Spain
| | - Jun Jie Ong
- Department of Pharmaceutics, UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK
| | - Abdul W. Basit
- Department of Pharmaceutics, UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK
- FabRx Ltd., 3 Romney Road, Ashford, Kent TN24 0RW, UK
- Corresponding authors at: Department of Pharmaceutics, UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK.
| | - Alvaro Goyanes
- Department of Pharmaceutics, UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK
- FabRx Ltd., 3 Romney Road, Ashford, Kent TN24 0RW, UK
- Departamento de Farmacología, Farmacia y Tecnología Farmacéutica, I+D Farma Group (GI-1645), Facultad de Farmacia, The Institute of Materials (iMATUS) and Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Spain
- Corresponding authors at: Department of Pharmaceutics, UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK.
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11
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Singh VK, Seed TM. Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute/Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences perspective on space radiation countermeasure discovery. LIFE SCIENCES IN SPACE RESEARCH 2022; 35:20-29. [PMID: 36336365 DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2022.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
There is a need to develop and deploy medical countermeasures (MCMs) in order to support astronauts during space missions against excessive exposures to ionizing radiation exposure. The radiation environment of extraterrestrial space is complex and is characterized by nearly constant fluences of elemental atomic particles (protons being a dominant particle type) with widely different energies and ionization potentials. Chronic exposure to such ionizing radiation carries both near- and long-term health risks, which are generally related to the relative intensity and duration of exposure. These radiation-associated health risks can be managed only to a limited extent by physical means, but perhaps they might be more effectively managed biomedically. The Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute/Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences has a long history of researching and developing MCMs specifically designed to support terrestrial-based military missions involving a radiation-threat component. The development of MCMs for both low and high doses of radiation are major aims of current research, and as such can provide lessons learned for the development of countermeasures applicable to future space missions and its extraterrestrial radiation environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Singh
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA; Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Thomas M Seed
- Tech Micro Services, 4417 Maple Avenue, Bethesda, MD, USA
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12
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Arora S, Puri S, Bhambri N. "A designer diet layout for astronauts using a microbiome mediated approach.". FEMS Microbiol Lett 2022; 369:6604380. [PMID: 35675219 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnac049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Astronauts undergo space travel to bring scientific information to benefit humanity under various missions of space agencies such as NASA, European Space Agency, Indian Space Research Organization etc. During space missions, they encounter several stressors namely microgravity, fluid shifts, cosmic radiation, sleep deprivation and alteration in the circadian rhythm perturbing the quality of sleep. In addition, confined spaces makes pathogen interaction more likely if a pathobiont gets introduced into spacecraft. Microbiota is the first line оf resistаnсe tо vаriоus disorders and diseаses. It direсtly influenсes the biосhemiсаl, рhysiоlоgiсаl, аnd immunоlоgiсаl раthwаys. 'Gut microbiota' is essential for maintenance of healthy gut barrier functions. 'Dysbiosis' refers to perturbation of microbiota which is correlated with several metabolic and psychological disorders. Microbial metabolites are implicated in maintenance of human health. Investigations conducted on astronauts in international space missions and on analog terrestrial models have indicated a 'dysbiosis' of the gut microbiota associated with spaceflights. 'Dysbiosis' of the gut microbiome observed in astronauts has been implicated in immune dysregulation and a probiotic enriched diet is proposed to restore immune homeostasis. This article not just summarizes the state of art research on dysbiosis of the gut microbiome of astronauts, but also a diet mediated correction plan to restore their health especially during long term space missions. A characterization of microbial metabolites of the gut to enable administration of astronaut specific probiotic, postbiotic or synbiotic to alleviate space associated dysbiosis is proposed. It is also recommended that astronauts maintain a balanced nutritious diet throughout life to promote a resilient microbiota that is not perturbed by space missions. Further, a bioregenerative life support system wherein a probiotic may be produced in space station is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Smriti Arora
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, School of Health Sciences and Technology, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), Energy Acres Building, Bidholi Dehradun, 248007 Uttarakhand, India
| | - Samikshha Puri
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, School of Health Sciences and Technology, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), Energy Acres Building, Bidholi Dehradun, 248007 Uttarakhand, India
| | - Nitika Bhambri
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, School of Health Sciences and Technology, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), Energy Acres Building, Bidholi Dehradun, 248007 Uttarakhand, India
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13
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Locatelli L, Castiglioni S, Maier JAM. From Cultured Vascular Cells to Vessels: The Cellular and Molecular Basis of Vascular Dysfunction in Space. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:862059. [PMID: 35480977 PMCID: PMC9036997 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.862059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Life evolved on this planet under the pull of gravity, shielded from radiation by the magnetosphere and shaped by circadian rhythms due to Earth’s rotation on its axis. Once living beings leave such a protective environment, adaptive responses are activated to grant survival. In view of long manned mission out of Earth’s orbit, it is relevant to understand how humans adapt to space and if the responses activated might reveal detrimental in the long run. Here we review present knowledge about the effects on the vessels of various extraterrestrial factors on humans as well as in vivo and in vitro experimental models. It emerges that the vasculature activates complex adaptive responses finalized to supply oxygen and nutrients to all the tissues and to remove metabolic waste and carbon dioxide. Most studies point to oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction as mediators of vascular alterations in space. Unraveling the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in these adaptive processes might offer hints to design proper and personalized countermeasures to predict a safe future in space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Locatelli
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences L. Sacco, Università di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Sara Castiglioni
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences L. Sacco, Università di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Jeanette A M Maier
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences L. Sacco, Università di Milano, Milano, Italy.,Interdisciplinary Centre for Nanostructured Materials and Interfaces (CIMaINa), Università di Milano, Milan, Italy
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14
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Goldsmith M, Crooks SD, Condon SF, Willie BM, Komarova SV. Bone strength and composition in spacefaring rodents: systematic review and meta-analysis. NPJ Microgravity 2022; 8:10. [PMID: 35418128 PMCID: PMC9008045 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-022-00195-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying the effects of space travel on bone of experimental animals provides unique advantages, including the ability to perform post-mortem analysis and mechanical testing. To synthesize the available data to assess how much and how consistently bone strength and composition parameters are affected by spaceflight, we systematically identified studies reporting bone health in spacefaring animals from Medline, Embase, Web of Science, BIOSIS, and NASA Technical reports. Previously, we reported the effect of spaceflight on bone architecture and turnover in rodents and primates. For this study, we selected 28 articles reporting bone strength and composition in 60 rats and 60 mice from 17 space missions ranging from 7 to 33 days in duration. Whole bone mechanical indices were significantly decreased in spaceflight rodents, with the percent difference between spaceflight and ground control animals for maximum load of −15.24% [Confidence interval: −22.32, −8.17]. Bone mineral density and calcium content were significantly decreased in spaceflight rodents by −3.13% [−4.96, −1.29] and −1.75% [−2.97, −0.52] respectively. Thus, large deficits in bone architecture (6% loss in cortical area identified in a previous study) as well as changes in bone mass and tissue composition likely lead to bone strength reduction in spaceflight animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Goldsmith
- Research Centre, Shriners Hospital for Children - Canada, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Sequoia D Crooks
- Research Centre, Shriners Hospital for Children - Canada, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Sean F Condon
- Research Centre, Shriners Hospital for Children - Canada, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Bettina M Willie
- Research Centre, Shriners Hospital for Children - Canada, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Department of Pediatric Surgery, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Svetlana V Komarova
- Research Centre, Shriners Hospital for Children - Canada, Montréal, QC, Canada. .,Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
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15
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Krivonosov YS, Gulimova VI, Buzmakov AV, Zolotov DA, Cedola A, Bukreeva I, Asadchikov VE, Saveliev SV. Micro-CT Study of Mongolian Gerbil Humeral Bone After Prolonged Spaceflight Based on a New Algorithm for Delimitation of Long-Bone Regions. Front Physiol 2021; 12:752893. [PMID: 34950047 PMCID: PMC8688953 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.752893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The Mongolian gerbil displays unique physiological and anatomical features that make this species an attractive object for biological experiments in space. However, until recently, the Mongolian gerbil has remained a novel, mostly unstudied animal model in investigating bone loss in weightlessness (G0). After 12 days of orbital Foton-M3 mission, the humerus of Mongolian gerbils has been studied here via micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) to quantify bone morphometric parameters. The samples from the flight group, delayed synchronous ground-control group, and basal control group were investigated, and main morphometric parameters were reported in the article. The accurate selection of a region of interest is an essential step for a correct assessment of bone parameters. We proposed a new, easy and efficient method for delimiting the bone’s basic regions in the humerus. It is based on quantitative estimation of X-ray attenuation in the cortical bone as a function of humerus bone length. The micro-CT analysis of the basic bone regions revealed a difference in bone morphometric parameters between the flight and control gerbils. The most significant bone loss was observed in the cortical part of the proximal humeral zone in the flight group. No statistically significant changes of volume fraction in the cancellous tissue of proximal and distal epiphyses and metaphyses were observed. A statistically significant increase in both cancellous bone volume and bone X-ray attenuation in the flight group was detected in the proximal part of the diaphyses. We assume that enhanced calcium deposition in the diaphyseal cancellous tissue occurred due to a bone response to G0 conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri S Krivonosov
- Laboratory of X-ray Reflectometry and SAXS, Federal Scientific Research Centre "Crystallography and Photonics" of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Victoria I Gulimova
- Laboratory of Nervous System Development, Federal State Budgetary Institution "A. P. Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology", Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexey V Buzmakov
- Laboratory of X-ray Reflectometry and SAXS, Federal Scientific Research Centre "Crystallography and Photonics" of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Denis A Zolotov
- Laboratory of X-ray Reflectometry and SAXS, Federal Scientific Research Centre "Crystallography and Photonics" of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alessia Cedola
- Institute of Nanotechnology, CNR, Rome Unit, Rome, Italy
| | - Inna Bukreeva
- Institute of Nanotechnology, CNR, Rome Unit, Rome, Italy.,X-ray Optics Laboratory, P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Victor E Asadchikov
- Laboratory of X-ray Reflectometry and SAXS, Federal Scientific Research Centre "Crystallography and Photonics" of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Sergey V Saveliev
- Laboratory of Nervous System Development, Federal State Budgetary Institution "A. P. Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology", Moscow, Russia
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16
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Transcriptional responses of skeletal stem/progenitor cells to hindlimb unloading and recovery correlate with localized but not systemic multi-systems impacts. NPJ Microgravity 2021; 7:49. [PMID: 34836964 PMCID: PMC8626488 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-021-00178-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Disuse osteoporosis (DO) results from mechanical unloading of weight-bearing bones and causes structural changes that compromise skeletal integrity, leading to increased fracture risk. Although bone loss in DO results from imbalances in osteoblast vs. osteoclast activity, its effects on skeletal stem/progenitor cells (SSCs) is indeterminate. We modeled DO in mice by 8 and 14 weeks of hindlimb unloading (HU) or 8 weeks of unloading followed by 8 weeks of recovery (HUR) and monitored impacts on animal physiology and behavior, metabolism, marrow adipose tissue (MAT) volume, bone density and micro-architecture, and bone marrow (BM) leptin and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) protein expression, and correlated multi-systems impacts of HU and HUR with the transcript profiles of Lin-LEPR+ SSCs and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) purified from BM. Using this integrative approach, we demonstrate that prolonged HU induces muscle atrophy, progressive bone loss, and MAT accumulation that paralleled increases in BM but not systemic leptin levels, which remained low in lipodystrophic HU mice. HU also induced SSC quiescence and downregulated bone anabolic and neurogenic pathways, which paralleled increases in BM TH expression, but had minimal impacts on MSCs, indicating a lack of HU memory in culture-expanded populations. Although most impacts of HU were reversed by HUR, trabecular micro-architecture remained compromised and time-resolved changes in the SSC transcriptome identified various signaling pathways implicated in bone formation that were unresponsive to HUR. These findings indicate that HU-induced alterations to the SSC transcriptome that persist after reloading may contribute to poor bone recovery.
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17
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Evidence for increased thermogenesis in female C57BL/6J mice housed aboard the international space station. NPJ Microgravity 2021; 7:23. [PMID: 34145277 PMCID: PMC8213760 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-021-00150-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Sixteen-week-old female C57BL/6J mice were sacrificed aboard the International Space Station after 37 days of flight (RR-1 mission) and frozen carcasses returned to Earth. RNA was isolated from interscapular brown adipose tissue (BAT) and gonadal white adipose tissue (WAT). Spaceflight resulted in differential expression of genes in BAT consistent with increased non-shivering thermogenesis and differential expression of genes in WAT consistent with increased glucose uptake and metabolism, adipogenesis, and β-oxidation.
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18
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Fu J, Goldsmith M, Crooks SD, Condon SF, Morris M, Komarova SV. Bone health in spacefaring rodents and primates: systematic review and meta-analysis. NPJ Microgravity 2021; 7:19. [PMID: 34075059 PMCID: PMC8169759 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-021-00147-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals in space exploration studies serve both as a model for human physiology and as a means to understand the physiological effects of microgravity. To quantify the microgravity-induced changes to bone health in animals, we systematically searched Medline, Embase, Web of Science, BIOSIS, and NASA Technical reports. We selected 40 papers focusing on the bone health of 95 rats, 61 mice, and 9 rhesus monkeys from 22 space missions. The percentage difference from ground control in rodents was -24.1% [Confidence interval: -43.4, -4.9] for trabecular bone volume fraction and -5.9% [-8.0, -3.8] for the cortical area. In primates, trabecular bone volume fraction was lower by -25.2% [-35.6, -14.7] in spaceflight animals compared to GC. Bone formation indices in rodent trabecular and cortical bone were significantly lower in microgravity. In contrast, osteoclast numbers were not affected in rats and were variably affected in mice. Thus, microgravity induces bone deficits in rodents and primates likely through the suppression of bone formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyan Fu
- Shriners Hospitals for Children - Canada, Montréal, Canada
| | - Matthew Goldsmith
- Shriners Hospitals for Children - Canada, Montréal, Canada
- Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
| | | | - Sean F Condon
- Shriners Hospitals for Children - Canada, Montréal, Canada
| | - Martin Morris
- Schulich Library of Physical Sciences, Life Sciences and Engineering, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
| | - Svetlana V Komarova
- Shriners Hospitals for Children - Canada, Montréal, Canada.
- Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University, Montréal, Canada.
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19
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Kwok AT, Mohamed NS, Plate JF, Yammani RR, Rosas S, Bateman TA, Livingston E, Moore JE, Kerr BA, Lee J, Furdui CM, Tan L, Bouxsein ML, Ferguson VL, Stodieck LS, Zawieja DC, Delp MD, Mao XW, Willey JS. Spaceflight and hind limb unloading induces an arthritic phenotype in knee articular cartilage and menisci of rodents. Sci Rep 2021; 11:10469. [PMID: 34006989 PMCID: PMC8131644 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90010-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Reduced knee weight-bearing from prescription or sedentary lifestyles are associated with cartilage degradation; effects on the meniscus are unclear. Rodents exposed to spaceflight or hind limb unloading (HLU) represent unique opportunities to evaluate this question. This study evaluated arthritic changes in the medial knee compartment that bears the highest loads across the knee after actual and simulated spaceflight, and recovery with subsequent full weight-bearing. Cartilage and meniscal degradation in mice were measured via microCT, histology, and proteomics and/or biochemically after: (1) ~ 35 days on the International Space Station (ISS); (2) 13-days aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis; or (3) 30 days of HLU, followed by a 49-day weight-bearing readaptation with/without exercise. Cartilage degradation post-ISS and HLU occurred at similar spatial locations, the tibial-femoral cartilage-cartilage contact point, with meniscal volume decline. Cartilage and meniscal glycosaminoglycan content were decreased in unloaded mice, with elevated catabolic enzymes (e.g., matrix metalloproteinases), and elevated oxidative stress and catabolic molecular pathway responses in menisci. After the 13-day Shuttle flight, meniscal degradation was observed. During readaptation, recovery of cartilage volume and thickness occurred with exercise. Reduced weight-bearing from either spaceflight or HLU induced an arthritic phenotype in cartilage and menisci, and exercise promoted recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andy T Kwok
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Nequesha S Mohamed
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Johannes F Plate
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Raghunatha R Yammani
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Molecular Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Samuel Rosas
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Ted A Bateman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Eric Livingston
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Joseph E Moore
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Bethany A Kerr
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.,Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Jingyun Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Molecular Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.,Proteomics and Metabolomics Shared Resource, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Cristina M Furdui
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Molecular Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.,Proteomics and Metabolomics Shared Resource, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Li Tan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Molecular Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Mary L Bouxsein
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Virginia L Ferguson
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado At Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Louis S Stodieck
- BioServe Space Technologies, Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado At Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - David C Zawieja
- Department of Medical Physiology, Texas A&M University Medical School, Bryan, TX, USA
| | - Michael D Delp
- Department of Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Xiao W Mao
- Division of Biomedical Engineering Sciences (BMES), Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Willey
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA. .,Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
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20
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Kharlamova A, Proshchina A, Gulimova V, Krivova Y, Soldatov P, Saveliev S. Cerebellar morphology and behavioural correlations of the vestibular function alterations in weightlessness. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 126:314-328. [PMID: 33766673 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In humans and other vertebrates, the range of disturbances and behavioural changes induced by spaceflight conditions are well known. Sensory organs and the central nervous system (CNS) are forced to adapt to new environmental conditions of weightlessness. In comparison with peripheral vestibular organs and behavioural disturbances in weightlessness conditions, the CNS vestibular centres of vertebrates, including the cerebellum, have been poorly examined in orbital experiments, as well as in experimental micro- and hypergravity. However, the cerebellum serves as a critical control centre for learning and sensory system integration during space-flight. Thus, it is referred to as a principal brain structure for adaptation to gravity and the entire sensorimotor adaptation and learning during weightlessness. This paper is focused on the prolonged spaceflight effects on the vestibular cerebellum evidenced from animal models used in the Bion-M1 project. The changes in the peripheral vestibular apparatus and brainstem primary vestibular centres with appropriate behavioural disorders after altered gravity exposure are briefly reviewed. The cerebellum studies in space missions and altered gravity are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Kharlamova
- Research Institute of Human Morphology, 117418, Tsyurupy St., 3, Moscow, Russia.
| | | | - Victoria Gulimova
- Research Institute of Human Morphology, 117418, Tsyurupy St., 3, Moscow, Russia
| | - Yulia Krivova
- Research Institute of Human Morphology, 117418, Tsyurupy St., 3, Moscow, Russia
| | - Pavel Soldatov
- State Scientific Center of Russian Federation Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 123007, Khoroshevskoyoe Shosse, 76A, Moscow, Russia
| | - Sergey Saveliev
- Research Institute of Human Morphology, 117418, Tsyurupy St., 3, Moscow, Russia
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21
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Hong X, Ratri A, Choi SY, Tash JS, Ronca AE, Alwood JS, Christenson LK. Effects of spaceflight aboard the International Space Station on mouse estrous cycle and ovarian gene expression. NPJ Microgravity 2021; 7:11. [PMID: 33712627 PMCID: PMC7954810 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-021-00139-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Ovarian steroids dramatically impact normal homeostatic and metabolic processes of most tissues within the body, including muscle, bone, neural, immune, cardiovascular, and reproductive systems. Determining the effects of spaceflight on the ovary and estrous cycle is, therefore, critical to our understanding of all spaceflight experiments using female mice. Adult female mice (n = 10) were exposed to and sacrificed on-orbit after 37 days of spaceflight in microgravity. Contemporary control (preflight baseline, vivarium, and habitat; n = 10/group) groups were maintained at the Kennedy Space Center, prior to sacrifice and similar tissue collection at the NASA Ames Research Center. Ovarian tissues were collected and processed for RNA and steroid analyses at initial carcass thaw. Vaginal wall tissue collected from twice frozen/thawed carcasses was fixed for estrous cycle stage determinations. The proportion of animals in each phase of the estrous cycle (i.e., proestrus, estrus, metestrus, and diestrus) did not appreciably differ between baseline, vivarium, and flight mice, while habitat control mice exhibited greater numbers in diestrus. Ovarian tissue steroid concentrations indicated no differences in estradiol across groups, while progesterone levels were lower (p < 0.05) in habitat and flight compared to baseline females. Genes involved in ovarian steroidogenic function were not differentially expressed across groups. As ovarian estrogen can dramatically impact multiple non-reproductive tissues, these data support vaginal wall estrous cycle classification of all female mice flown in space. Additionally, since females exposed to long-term spaceflight were observed at different estrous cycle stages, this indicates females are likely undergoing ovarian cyclicity and may yet be fertile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoman Hong
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - Anamika Ratri
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | | | - Joseph S Tash
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - April E Ronca
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA-Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, USA.,Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Wake Forest Medical School, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Joshua S Alwood
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA-Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, USA
| | - Lane K Christenson
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.
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22
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Shi Z, Qin M, Huang L, Xu T, Chen Y, Hu Q, Peng S, Peng Z, Qu LN, Chen SG, Tuo QH, Liao DF, Wang XP, Wu RR, Yuan TF, Li YH, Liu XM. Human torpor: translating insights from nature into manned deep space expedition. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 96:642-672. [PMID: 33314677 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
During a long-duration manned spaceflight mission, such as flying to Mars and beyond, all crew members will spend a long period in an independent spacecraft with closed-loop bioregenerative life-support systems. Saving resources and reducing medical risks, particularly in mental heath, are key technology gaps hampering human expedition into deep space. In the 1960s, several scientists proposed that an induced state of suppressed metabolism in humans, which mimics 'hibernation', could be an ideal solution to cope with many issues during spaceflight. In recent years, with the introduction of specific methods, it is becoming more feasible to induce an artificial hibernation-like state (synthetic torpor) in non-hibernating species. Natural torpor is a fascinating, yet enigmatic, physiological process in which metabolic rate (MR), body core temperature (Tb ) and behavioural activity are reduced to save energy during harsh seasonal conditions. It employs a complex central neural network to orchestrate a homeostatic state of hypometabolism, hypothermia and hypoactivity in response to environmental challenges. The anatomical and functional connections within the central nervous system (CNS) lie at the heart of controlling synthetic torpor. Although progress has been made, the precise mechanisms underlying the active regulation of the torpor-arousal transition, and their profound influence on neural function and behaviour, which are critical concerns for safe and reversible human torpor, remain poorly understood. In this review, we place particular emphasis on elaborating the central nervous mechanism orchestrating the torpor-arousal transition in both non-flying hibernating mammals and non-hibernating species, and aim to provide translational insights into long-duration manned spaceflight. In addition, identifying difficulties and challenges ahead will underscore important concerns in engineering synthetic torpor in humans. We believe that synthetic torpor may not be the only option for manned long-duration spaceflight, but it is the most achievable solution in the foreseeable future. Translating the available knowledge from natural torpor research will not only benefit manned spaceflight, but also many clinical settings attempting to manipulate energy metabolism and neurobehavioural functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Shi
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, and Department of Psychaitry, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China.,Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, 410208, China.,State Key Laboratory of Space Medicine Fundamentals and Application, China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Beijing, 100094, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Meng Qin
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Lu Huang
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Ministry of Education CNS Regeneration Collaborative Joint Laboratory, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Tao Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, China
| | - Ying Chen
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Qin Hu
- College of Life Sciences and Bio-Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100024, China
| | - Sha Peng
- Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, 410208, China
| | - Zhuang Peng
- Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, 410208, China
| | - Li-Na Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Space Medicine Fundamentals and Application, China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Beijing, 100094, China
| | - Shan-Guang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Space Medicine Fundamentals and Application, China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Beijing, 100094, China
| | - Qin-Hui Tuo
- Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, 410208, China
| | - Duan-Fang Liao
- Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, 410208, China
| | - Xiao-Ping Wang
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, and Department of Psychaitry, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Ren-Rong Wu
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, and Department of Psychaitry, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Ti-Fei Yuan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, China.,Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, 226000, China
| | - Ying-Hui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Space Medicine Fundamentals and Application, China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Beijing, 100094, China
| | - Xin-Min Liu
- Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, 410208, China.,State Key Laboratory of Space Medicine Fundamentals and Application, China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Beijing, 100094, China.,Research Center for Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development (IMPLAD), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
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23
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Malkani S, Chin CR, Cekanaviciute E, Mortreux M, Okinula H, Tarbier M, Schreurs AS, Shirazi-Fard Y, Tahimic CGT, Rodriguez DN, Sexton BS, Butler D, Verma A, Bezdan D, Durmaz C, MacKay M, Melnick A, Meydan C, Li S, Garrett-Bakelman F, Fromm B, Afshinnekoo E, Langhorst BW, Dimalanta ET, Cheng-Campbell M, Blaber E, Schisler JC, Vanderburg C, Friedländer MR, McDonald JT, Costes SV, Rutkove S, Grabham P, Mason CE, Beheshti A. Circulating miRNA Spaceflight Signature Reveals Targets for Countermeasure Development. Cell Rep 2020; 33:108448. [PMID: 33242410 PMCID: PMC8441986 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We have identified and validated a spaceflight-associated microRNA (miRNA) signature that is shared by rodents and humans in response to simulated, short-duration and long-duration spaceflight. Previous studies have identified miRNAs that regulate rodent responses to spaceflight in low-Earth orbit, and we have confirmed the expression of these proposed spaceflight-associated miRNAs in rodents reacting to simulated spaceflight conditions. Moreover, astronaut samples from the NASA Twins Study confirmed these expression signatures in miRNA sequencing, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), and single-cell assay for transposase accessible chromatin (scATAC-seq) data. Additionally, a subset of these miRNAs (miR-125, miR-16, and let-7a) was found to regulate vascular damage caused by simulated deep space radiation. To demonstrate the physiological relevance of key spaceflight-associated miRNAs, we utilized antagomirs to inhibit their expression and successfully rescue simulated deep-space-radiation-mediated damage in human 3D vascular constructs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherina Malkani
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Christopher R Chin
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; The HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Egle Cekanaviciute
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Marie Mortreux
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Hazeem Okinula
- Center for Radiological Research, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Marcel Tarbier
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biosciences, the Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ann-Sofie Schreurs
- KBR, Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Yasaman Shirazi-Fard
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Candice G T Tahimic
- KBR, Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | | | | | - Daniel Butler
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; The HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Akanksha Verma
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; The HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Daniela Bezdan
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; The HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Institute of Medical Virology and Epidemiology of Viral Diseases, University Hospital, Tubingen, Germany
| | - Ceyda Durmaz
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; The HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Matthew MacKay
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; The HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ari Melnick
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Cem Meydan
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; The HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sheng Li
- The Jackson Laboratories, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Francine Garrett-Bakelman
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Bastian Fromm
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biosciences, the Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ebrahim Afshinnekoo
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Margareth Cheng-Campbell
- Center for Biotechnology & Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Elizabeth Blaber
- Center for Biotechnology & Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA; Universities Space Research Association, Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA 94035, USA
| | - Jonathan C Schisler
- McAllister Heart Institute, Department of Pharmacology, and Department of Pathology and Lab Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Charles Vanderburg
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Marc R Friedländer
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biosciences, the Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - J Tyson McDonald
- Department of Radiation Medicine, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington DC 20007, USA
| | - Sylvain V Costes
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Seward Rutkove
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Peter Grabham
- Center for Radiological Research, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Christopher E Mason
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; The HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; The WorldQuant Initiative for Quantitative Prediction, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; The Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Afshin Beheshti
- KBR, Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
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24
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Lai Polo SH, Saravia-Butler AM, Boyko V, Dinh MT, Chen YC, Fogle H, Reinsch SS, Ray S, Chakravarty K, Marcu O, Chen RB, Costes SV, Galazka JM. RNAseq Analysis of Rodent Spaceflight Experiments Is Confounded by Sample Collection Techniques. iScience 2020; 23:101733. [PMID: 33376967 PMCID: PMC7756143 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 10/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
To understand the physiological changes that occur in response to spaceflight, mice are transported to the International Space Station (ISS) and housed for variable periods of time before euthanasia on-orbit or return to Earth. Sample collection under such difficult conditions introduces confounding factors that need to be identified and addressed. We found large changes in the transcriptome of mouse tissues dissected and preserved on-orbit compared with tissues from mice euthanized on-orbit, preserved, and dissected after return to Earth. Changes due to preservation method eclipsed those between flight and ground samples, making it difficult to identify spaceflight-specific changes. Follow-on experiments to interrogate the roles of euthanasia methods, tissue and carcass preservation protocols, and library preparation methods suggested that differences due to preservation protocols are exacerbated when coupled with polyA selection. This has important implications for the interpretation of existing datasets and the design of future experiments. Experimentation is necessary to understand how organisms respond to space Specialized protocols are used for preserving biological samples on the ISS RNAseq datasets are impacted by preservation protocols used on the ISS Impacts can be alleviated with improved carcass preservation protocols
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Affiliation(s)
- San-Huei Lai Polo
- KBR, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.,NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Amanda M Saravia-Butler
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.,Logyx, LLC, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
| | - Valery Boyko
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.,The Bionetics Corporation, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Marie T Dinh
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.,Logyx, LLC, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
| | - Yi-Chun Chen
- KBR, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.,NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Homer Fogle
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.,The Bionetics Corporation, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | | | - Shayoni Ray
- NGM Biopharmaceuticals, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | | | - Oana Marcu
- Carl Sagan Center, SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
| | - Rick B Chen
- KBR, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.,NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
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25
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Shaymardanova GF, Salnikov VV. Localization of Annexin V and Agrin in the Intact Sciatic Nerve of Mice. NEUROCHEM J+ 2020. [DOI: 10.1134/s1819712420030095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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26
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Lee SJ, Lehar A, Meir JU, Koch C, Morgan A, Warren LE, Rydzik R, Youngstrom DW, Chandok H, George J, Gogain J, Michaud M, Stoklasek TA, Liu Y, Germain-Lee EL. Targeting myostatin/activin A protects against skeletal muscle and bone loss during spaceflight. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:23942-23951. [PMID: 32900939 PMCID: PMC7519220 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2014716117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Among the physiological consequences of extended spaceflight are loss of skeletal muscle and bone mass. One signaling pathway that plays an important role in maintaining muscle and bone homeostasis is that regulated by the secreted signaling proteins, myostatin (MSTN) and activin A. Here, we used both genetic and pharmacological approaches to investigate the effect of targeting MSTN/activin A signaling in mice that were sent to the International Space Station. Wild type mice lost significant muscle and bone mass during the 33 d spent in microgravity. Muscle weights of Mstn-/- mice, which are about twice those of wild type mice, were largely maintained during spaceflight. Systemic inhibition of MSTN/activin A signaling using a soluble form of the activin type IIB receptor (ACVR2B), which can bind each of these ligands, led to dramatic increases in both muscle and bone mass, with effects being comparable in ground and flight mice. Exposure to microgravity and treatment with the soluble receptor each led to alterations in numerous signaling pathways, which were reflected in changes in levels of key signaling components in the blood as well as their RNA expression levels in muscle and bone. These findings have implications for therapeutic strategies to combat the concomitant muscle and bone loss occurring in people afflicted with disuse atrophy on Earth as well as in astronauts in space, especially during prolonged missions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Se-Jin Lee
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032;
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030
| | - Adam Lehar
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032
| | - Jessica U Meir
- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058
| | - Christina Koch
- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058
| | - Andrew Morgan
- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058
| | - Lara E Warren
- Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Houston, TX 77058
| | - Renata Rydzik
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030
| | - Daniel W Youngstrom
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030
| | | | - Joshy George
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032
| | | | - Michael Michaud
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032
| | | | - Yewei Liu
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032
| | - Emily L Germain-Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030
- Connecticut Children's Center for Rare Bone Disorders, Farmington, CT 06032
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27
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Fujita SI, Rutter L, Ong Q, Muratani M. Integrated RNA-seq Analysis Indicates Asynchrony in Clock Genes between Tissues under Spaceflight. Life (Basel) 2020; 10:E196. [PMID: 32933026 PMCID: PMC7555136 DOI: 10.3390/life10090196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Rodent models have been widely used as analogs for estimating spaceflight-relevant molecular mechanisms in human tissues. NASA GeneLab provides access to numerous spaceflight omics datasets that can potentially generate novel insights and hypotheses about fundamental space biology when analyzed in new and integrated fashions. Here, we performed a pilot study to elucidate space biological mechanisms across tissues by reanalyzing mouse RNA-sequencing spaceflight data archived on NASA GeneLab. Our results showed that clock gene expressions in spaceflight mice were altered compared with those in ground control mice. Furthermore, the results suggested that spaceflight promotes asynchrony of clock gene expressions between peripheral tissues. Abnormal circadian rhythms are associated not only with jet lag and sleep disorders but also with cancer, lifestyle-related diseases, and mental disorders. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of elucidating the causes of circadian rhythm disruptions using the unique approach of space biology research to one day potentially develop countermeasures that benefit humans on Earth and in space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin-Ichiro Fujita
- Doctoral Program in Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
- Department of Genome Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
| | - Lindsay Rutter
- Department of Genome Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
| | - Quang Ong
- Doctoral Program in Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
- Department of Genome Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
| | - Masafumi Muratani
- Department of Genome Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
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28
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Amalfitano S, Levantesi C, Copetti D, Stefani F, Locantore I, Guarnieri V, Lobascio C, Bersani F, Giacosa D, Detsis E, Rossetti S. Water and microbial monitoring technologies towards the near future space exploration. WATER RESEARCH 2020; 177:115787. [PMID: 32315899 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.115787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Space exploration is demanding longer lasting human missions and water resupply from Earth will become increasingly unrealistic. In a near future, the spacecraft water monitoring systems will require technological advances to promptly identify and counteract contingent events of waterborne microbial contamination, posing health risks to astronauts with lowered immune responsiveness. The search for bio-analytical approaches, alternative to those applied on Earth by cultivation-dependent methods, is pushed by the compelling need to limit waste disposal and avoid microbial regrowth from analytical carryovers. Prospective technologies will be selected only if first validated in a flight-like environment, by following basic principles, advantages, and limitations beyond their current applications on Earth. Starting from the water monitoring activities applied on the International Space Station, we provide a critical overview of the nucleic acid amplification-based approaches (i.e., loop-mediated isothermal amplification, quantitative PCR, and high-throughput sequencing) and early-warning methods for total microbial load assessments (i.e., ATP-metry, flow cytometry), already used at a high readiness level aboard crewed space vehicles. Our findings suggest that the forthcoming space applications of mature technologies will be necessarily bounded by a compromise between analytical performances (e.g., speed to results, identification depth, reproducibility, multiparametricity) and detrimental technical requirements (e.g., reagent usage, waste production, operator skills, crew time). As space exploration progresses toward extended missions to Moon and Mars, miniaturized systems that also minimize crew involvement in their end-to-end operation are likely applicable on the long-term and suitable for the in-flight water and microbiological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Amalfitano
- Water Research Institute - National Research Council of Italy (IRSA-CNR), Via Salaria Km 29,300, 00015, Monterotondo, Roma, Italy.
| | - Caterina Levantesi
- Water Research Institute - National Research Council of Italy (IRSA-CNR), Via Salaria Km 29,300, 00015, Monterotondo, Roma, Italy
| | - Diego Copetti
- Water Research Institute - National Research Council of Italy (IRSA-CNR), Via del Mulino 19, 20861, Brugherio, Monza-Brianza, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Stefani
- Water Research Institute - National Research Council of Italy (IRSA-CNR), Via del Mulino 19, 20861, Brugherio, Monza-Brianza, Italy
| | - Ilaria Locantore
- Thales Alenia Space Italia SpA, Strada Antica di Collegno, 253 - 10146, Turin, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Guarnieri
- Thales Alenia Space Italia SpA, Strada Antica di Collegno, 253 - 10146, Turin, Italy
| | - Cesare Lobascio
- Thales Alenia Space Italia SpA, Strada Antica di Collegno, 253 - 10146, Turin, Italy
| | - Francesca Bersani
- Centro Ricerche SMAT, Società Metropolitana Acque Torino S.p.A., C.so Unità d'Italia 235/3, 10127, Torino, Italy
| | - Donatella Giacosa
- Centro Ricerche SMAT, Società Metropolitana Acque Torino S.p.A., C.so Unità d'Italia 235/3, 10127, Torino, Italy
| | - Emmanouil Detsis
- European Science Foundation, 1 quai Lezay Marnésia, BP 90015, 67080, Strasbourg Cedex, France
| | - Simona Rossetti
- Water Research Institute - National Research Council of Italy (IRSA-CNR), Via Salaria Km 29,300, 00015, Monterotondo, Roma, Italy
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Ballerini A, Chua CYX, Rhudy J, Susnjar A, Di Trani N, Jain PR, Laue G, Lubicka D, Shirazi‐Fard Y, Ferrari M, Stodieck LS, Cadena SM, Grattoni A. Counteracting Muscle Atrophy on Earth and in Space via Nanofluidics Delivery of Formoterol. ADVANCED THERAPEUTICS 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/adtp.202000014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Ballerini
- Department of Nanomedicine Houston Methodist Research Institute 6670 Bertner Ave Houston TX 77030 USA
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine University of Milan Milan 20122 Italy
| | - Corrine Ying Xuan Chua
- Department of Nanomedicine Houston Methodist Research Institute 6670 Bertner Ave Houston TX 77030 USA
| | - Jessica Rhudy
- Department of Nanomedicine Houston Methodist Research Institute 6670 Bertner Ave Houston TX 77030 USA
| | - Antonia Susnjar
- Department of Nanomedicine Houston Methodist Research Institute 6670 Bertner Ave Houston TX 77030 USA
| | - Nicola Di Trani
- Department of Nanomedicine Houston Methodist Research Institute 6670 Bertner Ave Houston TX 77030 USA
- College of Materials Science and Opta‐Electronic Technology University of Chinese Academy of Science Shijingshan, 19 Yuquan Road Beijing 100049 China
| | - Priya R. Jain
- Department of Nanomedicine Houston Methodist Research Institute 6670 Bertner Ave Houston TX 77030 USA
| | - Grit Laue
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research Novartis Campus Basel 4056 Switzerland
| | - Danuta Lubicka
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research 181 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge MA 02139 USA
| | - Yasaman Shirazi‐Fard
- Bone and Signaling Laboratory Space BioSciences Division NASA Ames Research Center Mail‐Stop 236‐7, Moffett Field, CA, 94035 USA
| | - Mauro Ferrari
- University of Washington Box 357630H375 Health Science Building Seattle WA 98195‐7630 USA
| | - Louis S. Stodieck
- BioServe Space Technologies Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences University of Colorado Boulder CO 80309 USA
| | - Samuel M. Cadena
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research 181 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge MA 02139 USA
| | - Alessandro Grattoni
- Department of Nanomedicine Houston Methodist Research Institute 6670 Bertner Ave Houston TX 77030 USA
- Department of Surgery Houston Methodist Research Institute 6670 Bertner Ave Houston TX 77030 USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology Houston Methodist Research Institute 6670 Bertner Ave Houston TX 77030 USA
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Clément GR, Boyle RD, George KA, Nelson GA, Reschke MF, Williams TJ, Paloski WH. Challenges to the central nervous system during human spaceflight missions to Mars. J Neurophysiol 2020; 123:2037-2063. [DOI: 10.1152/jn.00476.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Space travel presents a number of environmental challenges to the central nervous system, including changes in gravitational acceleration that alter the terrestrial synergies between perception and action, galactic cosmic radiation that can damage sensitive neurons and structures, and multiple factors (isolation, confinement, altered atmosphere, and mission parameters, including distance from Earth) that can affect cognition and behavior. Travelers to Mars will be exposed to these environmental challenges for up to 3 years, and space-faring nations continue to direct vigorous research investments to help elucidate and mitigate the consequences of these long-duration exposures. This article reviews the findings of more than 50 years of space-related neuroscience research on humans and animals exposed to spaceflight or analogs of spaceflight environments, and projects the implications and the forward work necessary to ensure successful Mars missions. It also reviews fundamental neurophysiology responses that will help us understand and maintain human health and performance on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard D. Boyle
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California
| | | | - Gregory A. Nelson
- Division of Biomedical Engineering Sciences, School of Medicine Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California
| | - Millard F. Reschke
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Thomas J. Williams
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas
| | - William H. Paloski
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas
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Luna A, Meisel J, Hsu K, Russi S, Fernandez D. Protein structural changes on a CubeSat under rocket acceleration profile. NPJ Microgravity 2020; 6:12. [PMID: 32352028 PMCID: PMC7181844 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-020-0102-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Catalyzing life-sustaining reactions, proteins are composed by 20 different amino acids that fold into a compact yet flexible three-dimensional architecture, which dictates what their function(s) might be. Determining the spatial arrangement of the atoms, the protein's 3D structure, enables key advances in fundamental and applied research. Protein crystallization is a powerful technique to achieve this. Unlike Earth's crystallization experiments, biomolecular crystallization in space in the absence of gravitational force is actively sought to improve crystal growth techniques. However, the effects of changing gravitational vectors on a protein solution reaching supersaturation remain largely unknown. Here, we have developed a low-cost crystallization cell within a CubeSat payload module to exploit the unique experimental conditions set aboard a sounding rocket. We designed a biaxial gimbal to house the crystallization experiments and take measurements on the protein solution in-flight with a spectrophotometry system. After flight, we used X-ray diffraction analysis to determine that flown protein has a structural rearrangement marked by loss of the protein's water and sodium in a manner that differs from crystals grown on the ground. We finally show that our gimbal payload module design is a portable experimental setup to take laboratory research investigations into exploratory space flights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Autumn Luna
- Mechanical Engineering Department, School of Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| | - Jacob Meisel
- Electrical Engineering Department, School of Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| | - Kaitlin Hsu
- Biology Department, School of Humanities and Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| | - Silvia Russi
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL), SLAC National Accelerator Laboratories, Menlo Park, CA 94025 USA
| | - Daniel Fernandez
- Stanford ChEM-H Macromolecular Structure Knowledge Center (MSKC), Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
- Stanford ChEM-H Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
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32
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Smith RC, Cramer MS, Mitchell PJ, Lucchesi J, Ortega AM, Livingston EW, Ballard D, Zhang L, Hanson J, Barton K, Berens S, Credille KM, Bateman TA, Ferguson VL, Ma YL, Stodieck LS. Inhibition of myostatin prevents microgravity-induced loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0230818. [PMID: 32315311 PMCID: PMC7173869 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The microgravity conditions of prolonged spaceflight are known to result in skeletal muscle atrophy that leads to diminished functional performance. To assess if inhibition of the growth factor myostatin has potential to reverse these effects, mice were treated with a myostatin antibody while housed on the International Space Station. Grip strength of ground control mice increased 3.1% compared to baseline values over the 6 weeks of the study, whereas grip strength measured for the first time in space showed flight animals to be -7.8% decreased in strength compared to baseline values. Control mice in space exhibited, compared to ground-based controls, a smaller increase in DEXA-measured muscle mass (+3.9% vs +5.6% respectively) although the difference was not significant. All individual flight limb muscles analyzed (except for the EDL) weighed significantly less than their ground counterparts at the study end (range -4.4% to -28.4%). Treatment with myostatin antibody YN41 was able to prevent many of these space-induced muscle changes. YN41 was able to block the reduction in muscle grip strength caused by spaceflight and was able to significantly increase the weight of all muscles of flight mice (apart from the EDL). Muscles of YN41-treated flight mice weighed as much as muscles from Ground IgG mice, with the exception of the soleus, demonstrating the ability to prevent spaceflight-induced atrophy. Muscle gene expression analysis demonstrated significant effects of microgravity and myostatin inhibition on many genes. Gamt and Actc1 gene expression was modulated by microgravity and YN41 in opposing directions. Myostatin inhibition did not overcome the significant reduction of microgravity on femoral BMD nor did it increase femoral or vertebral BMD in ground control mice. In summary, myostatin inhibition may be an effective countermeasure to detrimental consequences of skeletal muscle under microgravity conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosamund C. Smith
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Martin S. Cramer
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Pamela J. Mitchell
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Jonathan Lucchesi
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Alicia M. Ortega
- Dept. of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, BioServe Space Technologies, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Eric W. Livingston
- Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Darryl Ballard
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Ling Zhang
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Jeff Hanson
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Kenneth Barton
- TechShot, Inc., Greenville, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Shawn Berens
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Kelly M. Credille
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Ted A. Bateman
- Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Virginia L. Ferguson
- Dept. of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, BioServe Space Technologies, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
- Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Yanfei L. Ma
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Louis S. Stodieck
- Dept. of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, BioServe Space Technologies, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
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Validation of a New Rodent Experimental System to Investigate Consequences of Long Duration Space Habitation. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2336. [PMID: 32047211 PMCID: PMC7012842 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-58898-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal models are useful for exploring the health consequences of prolonged spaceflight. Capabilities were developed to perform experiments in low earth orbit with on-board sample recovery, thereby avoiding complications caused by return to Earth. For NASA’s Rodent Research-1 mission, female mice (ten 32 wk C57BL/6NTac; ten 16 wk C57BL/6J) were launched on an unmanned vehicle, then resided on the International Space Station for 21/22d or 37d in microgravity. Mice were euthanized on-orbit, livers and spleens dissected, and remaining tissues frozen in situ for later analyses. Mice appeared healthy by daily video health checks and body, adrenal, and spleen weights of 37d-flight (FLT) mice did not differ from ground controls housed in flight hardware (GC), while thymus weights were 35% greater in FLT than GC. Mice exposed to 37d of spaceflight displayed elevated liver mass (33%) and select enzyme activities compared to GC, whereas 21/22d-FLT mice did not. FLT mice appeared more physically active than respective GC while soleus muscle showed expected atrophy. RNA and enzyme activity levels in tissues recovered on-orbit were of acceptable quality. Thus, this system establishes a new capability for conducting long-duration experiments in space, enables sample recovery on-orbit, and avoids triggering standard indices of chronic stress.
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Coulombe JC, Senwar B, Ferguson VL. Spaceflight-Induced Bone Tissue Changes that Affect Bone Quality and Increase Fracture Risk. Curr Osteoporos Rep 2020; 18:1-12. [PMID: 31897866 DOI: 10.1007/s11914-019-00540-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Bone mineral density and systemic factors are used to assess skeletal health in astronauts. Yet, even in a general population, these measures fail to accurately predict when any individual will fracture. This review considers how long-duration human spaceflight requires evaluation of additional bone structural and material quality measures that contribute to microgravity-induced skeletal fragility. RECENT FINDINGS In both humans and small animal models following spaceflight, bone mass is compromised via reduced bone formation and elevated resorption levels. Concurrently, bone structural quality (e.g., trabecular microarchitecture) is diminished and the quality of bone material is reduced via impaired tissue mineralization, maturation, and maintenance (e.g., mediated by osteocytes). Bone structural and material quality are both affected by microgravity and may, together, jeopardize astronaut operational readiness and lead to increased fracture risk upon return to gravitational loading. Future studies need to directly evaluate how bone quality combines with diminished bone mass to influence bone strength and toughness (e.g., resistance to fracture). Bone quality assessment promises to identify novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer C Coulombe
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, UCB 427, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
- BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, UCB 596, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
- BioServe Space Technologies, University of Colorado, UCB 429, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Bhavya Senwar
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, UCB 427, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
- BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, UCB 596, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
- BioServe Space Technologies, University of Colorado, UCB 429, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Virginia L Ferguson
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, UCB 427, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA.
- BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, UCB 596, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA.
- BioServe Space Technologies, University of Colorado, UCB 429, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA.
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Multi-omics analysis of multiple missions to space reveal a theme of lipid dysregulation in mouse liver. Sci Rep 2019; 9:19195. [PMID: 31844325 PMCID: PMC6915713 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55869-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spaceflight has several detrimental effects on the physiology of astronauts, many of which are recapitulated in rodent models. Mouse studies performed on the Space Shuttle showed disruption of lipid metabolism in liver. However, given that these animals were not sacrificed on-orbit and instead returned live to earth, it is unclear if these disruptions were solely induced by space stressors (e.g. microgravity, space radiation) or in part explained by the stress of return to Earth. In this work we analyzed three liver datasets from two different strains of mice (C57BL/6 (Jackson) & BALB/c (Taconic)) flown aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Notably, these animals were sacrificed on-orbit and exposed to varying spaceflight durations (i.e. 21, 37, and 42 days vs 13 days for the Shuttle mice). Oil Red O (ORO) staining showed abnormal lipid accumulation in all space-flown mice compared to ground controls regardless of strain or exposure duration. Similarly, transcriptomic analysis by RNA-sequencing revealed several pathways that were affected in both strains related to increased lipid metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, lipid and fatty acid processing, lipid catabolic processing, and lipid localization. In addition, key upstream regulators were predicted to be commonly regulated across all conditions including Glucagon (GCG) and Insulin (INS). Moreover, quantitative proteomic analysis showed that a number of lipid related proteins were changed in the livers during spaceflight. Taken together, these data indicate that activation of lipotoxic pathways are the result of space stressors alone and this activation occurs in various genetic backgrounds during spaceflight exposures of weeks to months. If similar responses occur in humans, a prolonged change of these pathways may result in the development of liver disease and should be investigated further.
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36
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Smith PF. The Growing Evidence for the Importance of the Otoliths in Spatial Memory. Front Neural Circuits 2019; 13:66. [PMID: 31680880 PMCID: PMC6813194 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2019.00066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Many studies have demonstrated that vestibular sensory input is important for spatial learning and memory. However, it has been unclear what contributions the different parts of the vestibular system - the semi-circular canals and otoliths - make to these processes. The advent of mutant otolith-deficient mice has made it possible to isolate the relative contributions of the otoliths, the utricle and saccule. A number of studies have now indicated that the loss of otolithic function impairs normal spatial memory and also impairs the normal function of head direction cells in the thalamus and place cells in the hippocampus. Epidemiological studies have also provided evidence that spatial memory impairment with aging, may be linked to saccular function. The otoliths may be important in spatial cognition because of their evolutionary age as a sensory detector of orientation and the fact that velocity storage is important to the way that the brain encodes its place in space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul F. Smith
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Brain Health Research Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago Medical School, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Brain Research New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand
- Eisdell Moore Centre for Hearing and Balance Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Abstract
A return to the Moon, Mars expeditions, and a rise in space tourism will lead to an increasing number of human spaceflights. The ‘Gravitational biology and space medicine’ Collection focuses on the challenges to the health of humans in space during long-term space missions and the physiological changes during short-term altered gravity conditions, the possible influence of space radiation, available countermeasures and possible applications on Earth. In addition, studies reporting on in vivo changes in space-flown mice were published. Finally, this Collection also brings together articles reporting experiments using cells cultured under conditions of real microgravity on the International Space Station, or exposed in ground-based facilities, in order to study morphological and molecular alterations in different cell types.
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38
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Overbey EG, Paul AM, da Silveira WA, Tahimic CGT, Reinsch SS, Szewczyk N, Stanbouly S, Wang C, Galazka JM, Mao XW. Mice Exposed to Combined Chronic Low-Dose Irradiation and Modeled Microgravity Develop Long-Term Neurological Sequelae. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20174094. [PMID: 31443374 PMCID: PMC6747492 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20174094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Revised: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Spaceflight poses many challenges for humans. Ground-based analogs typically focus on single parameters of spaceflight and their associated acute effects. This study assesses the long-term transcriptional effects following single and combination spaceflight analog conditions using the mouse model: simulated microgravity via hindlimb unloading (HLU) and/or low-dose γ-ray irradiation (LDR) for 21 days, followed by 4 months of readaptation. Changes in gene expression and epigenetic modifications in brain samples during readaptation were analyzed by whole transcriptome shotgun sequencing (RNA-seq) and reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS). The results showed minimal gene expression and cytosine methylation alterations at 4 months readaptation within single treatment conditions of HLU or LDR. In contrast, following combined HLU+LDR, gene expression and promoter methylation analyses showed multiple altered pathways involved in neurogenesis and neuroplasticity, the regulation of neuropeptides, and cellular signaling. In brief, neurological readaptation following combined chronic LDR and HLU is a dynamic process that involves pathways that regulate neuronal function and structure and may lead to late onset neurological sequelae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliah G Overbey
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Amber M Paul
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
- Universities Space Research Association, Columbia, MD 21046, USA
| | - Willian A da Silveira
- Institute for Global Food Security (IGF), School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University, Belfast, Northern Ireland BT7 1NN, UK
| | - Candice G T Tahimic
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
- KBR, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Sigrid S Reinsch
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Nathaniel Szewczyk
- MRC/ARUK Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research & National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Royal Derby Hospital, University of Nottingham, Derby DE22 3DT, UK
| | - Seta Stanbouly
- Division of Biomedical Engineering Sciences (BMES), Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92354, USA
| | - Charles Wang
- Center for Genomics, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92354, USA
- Department of Basic Sciences, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92354, USA
| | - Jonathan M Galazka
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.
| | - Xiao Wen Mao
- Division of Biomedical Engineering Sciences (BMES), Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92354, USA.
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Jiang P, Green SJ, Chlipala GE, Turek FW, Vitaterna MH. Reproducible changes in the gut microbiome suggest a shift in microbial and host metabolism during spaceflight. MICROBIOME 2019; 7:113. [PMID: 31399081 PMCID: PMC6689164 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-019-0724-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Space environment imposes a range of challenges to mammalian physiology and the gut microbiota, and interactions between the two are thought to be important in mammalian health in space. While previous findings have demonstrated a change in the gut microbial community structure during spaceflight, specific environmental factors that alter the gut microbiome and the functional relevance of the microbiome changes during spaceflight remain elusive. METHODS We profiled the microbiome using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing in fecal samples collected from mice after a 37-day spaceflight onboard the International Space Station. We developed an analytical tool, named STARMAPs (Similarity Test for Accordant and Reproducible Microbiome Abundance Patterns), to compare microbiome changes reported here to other relevant datasets. We also integrated the gut microbiome data with the publically available transcriptomic data in the liver of the same animals for a systems-level analysis. RESULTS We report an elevated microbiome alpha diversity and an altered microbial community structure that were associated with spaceflight environment. Using STARMAPs, we found the observed microbiome changes shared similarity with data reported in mice flown in a previous space shuttle mission, suggesting reproducibility of the effects of spaceflight on the gut microbiome. However, such changes were not comparable with those induced by space-type radiation in Earth-based studies. We found spaceflight led to significantly altered taxon abundance in one order, one family, five genera, and six species of microbes. This was accompanied by a change in the inferred microbial gene abundance that suggests an altered capacity in energy metabolism. Finally, we identified host genes whose expression in the liver were concordantly altered with the inferred gut microbial gene content, particularly highlighting a relationship between host genes involved in protein metabolism and microbial genes involved in putrescine degradation. CONCLUSIONS These observations shed light on the specific environmental factors that contributed to a robust effect on the gut microbiome during spaceflight with important implications for mammalian metabolism. Our findings represent a key step toward a better understanding the role of the gut microbiome in mammalian health during spaceflight and provide a basis for future efforts to develop microbiota-based countermeasures that mitigate risks to crew health during long-term human space expeditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Jiang
- Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology, Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL USA
| | - Stefan J. Green
- Sequencing Core, Research Resources Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL USA
| | - George E. Chlipala
- Sequencing Core, Research Resources Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL USA
| | - Fred W. Turek
- Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology, Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL USA
| | - Martha Hotz Vitaterna
- Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology, Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL USA
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40
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Testes and duct deferens of mice during space flight: cytoskeleton structure, sperm-specific proteins and epigenetic events. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9730. [PMID: 31278362 PMCID: PMC6611814 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46324-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
To analyze the effect of gravity on the structure of germinal tissues, we examined tissues of the testes and duct deferens of mice that were exposed to space flight conditions for 21–24 days (experiment Rodent Research-4, SpaceX-10 mission, February 2017, USA). We evaluated the levels of cytoskeletal proteins, sperm-specific proteins, and epigenetic events; in particular, we evaluated levels of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine and of enzymes that regulate DNA methylation/demethylation. We did not detect changes in the levels of cytoskeletal proteins, sperm-specific proteins, DNA-methylases, DNA demethylases, DNA acetylases, or histone deacetylases. However, there were changes at the gene expression level. In particular, there was an increase in the demethylase Tet2 and a decrease in the histone deacetylase Hdac1. These gene expression changes may be of key importance during the early period of readaptation since they could lead to an increase in the expression of target genes.
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41
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Skeletal muscle in MuRF1 null mice is not spared in low-gravity conditions, indicating atrophy proceeds by unique mechanisms in space. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9397. [PMID: 31253821 PMCID: PMC6599046 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45821-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Microgravity exposure is associated with loss of muscle mass and strength. The E3 ubiquitin ligase MuRF1 plays an integral role in degrading the contractile apparatus of skeletal muscle; MuRF1 null (KO) mice have shown protection in ground-based models of muscle atrophy. In contrast, MuRF1 KO mice subjected to 21 days of microgravity on the International Space Station (ISS) were not protected from muscle atrophy. In a time course experiment microgravity-induced muscle loss on the ISS showed MuRF1 gene expression was not upregulated. A comparison of the soleus transcriptome profiles between spaceflight and a publicly available data set for hindlimb suspension, a claimed surrogate model of microgravity, showed only marginal commonalities between the models. These findings demonstrate spaceflight induced atrophy is unique, and that understanding of effects of space requires study situated beyond the Earth’s mesosphere.
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Reptiles in Space Missions: Results and Perspectives. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20123019. [PMID: 31226840 PMCID: PMC6627973 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20123019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Revised: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Reptiles are a rare model object for space research. However, some reptile species demonstrate effective adaptation to spaceflight conditions. The main scope of this review is a comparative analysis of reptile experimental exposure in weightlessness, demonstrating the advantages and shortcomings of this model. The description of the known reptile experiments using turtles and geckos in the space and parabolic flight experiments is provided. Behavior, skeletal bones (morphology, histology, and X-ray microtomography), internal organs, and the nervous system (morphology, histology, and immunohistochemistry) are studied in the spaceflight experiments to date, while molecular and physiological results are restricted. Therefore, the results are discussed in the scope of molecular data collected from mammalian (mainly rodents) specimens and cell cultures in the parabolic and orbital flights and simulated microgravity. The published data are compared with the results of the gecko model studies after the 12–44.5-day spaceflights with special reference to the unique peculiarities of the gecko model for the orbital experiments. The complex study of thick-toed geckos after three spaceflights, in which all geckos survived and demonstrated effective adaptation to spaceflight conditions, was performed. However, future investigations are needed to study molecular mechanisms of gecko adaptation in space.
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