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Horeau M, Delalande M, Ropert M, Leroyer P, Martin B, Orfila L, Loréal O, Derbré F. Sex similarities and divergences in systemic and muscle iron metabolism adaptations to extreme physical inactivity in rats. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle 2024. [PMID: 39049183 DOI: 10.1002/jcsm.13547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous data in humans suggest that extreme physical inactivity (EPI) affects iron metabolism differently between sexes. Our objective was to deepen the underlying mechanisms by studying rats of both sexes exposed to hindlimb unloading (HU), the reference experimental model mimicking EPI. METHODS Eight-week-old male and female Wistar rats were assigned to control (CTL) or hindlimb unloading (HU) conditions (n = 12/group). After 7 days of HU, serum, liver, spleen, and soleus muscle were removed. Iron parameters were measured in serum samples, and ICP-MS was used to quantify iron in tissues. Iron metabolism genes and proteins were analysed by RT-qPCR and Western blot. RESULTS Compared with control males, control females exhibited higher iron concentrations in serum (+43.3%, p < 0.001), liver (LIC; +198%, P < 0.001), spleen (SIC; +76.1%, P < 0.001), and transferrin saturation (TS) in serum (+53.3%, P < 0.001), contrasting with previous observations in humans. HU rat males, but not females, exhibited an increase of LIC (+54% P < 0.001) and SIC (+30.1%, P = 0.023), along with a rise of H-ferritin protein levels (+60.9% and +134%, respectively, in liver and spleen; P < 0.05) and a decrease of TFRC protein levels (-36%; -50%, respectively, P < 0.05). HU males also exhibited an increase of splenic HO-1 and NRF2 mRNA levels, (p < 0.001), as well as HU females (P < 0.001). Concomitantly to muscle atrophy observed in HU animals, the iron concentration increased in soleus in females (+26.7, P = 0.004) while only a trend is observed in males (+17.5%, P = 0.088). In addition, the H-ferritin and myoglobin protein levels in soleus were increased in males (+748%, P < 0.001, +22%, P = 0.011, respectively) and in females (+369%, P < 0.001, +21.9%, P = 0.007, respectively), whereas TFRC and ferroportin (FPN) protein levels were reduced in males (-68.9%, P < 0.001, -76.8%, P < 0.001, respectively) and females (-75.9%, P < 0.001, -62.9%, P < 0.001, respectively). Interestingly, in both sexes, heme exporter FLVCR1 mRNA increased in soleus, while protein levels decreased (-39.9% for males P = 0.010 and -49.1% for females P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these data support that, in rats (1) extreme physical inactivity differently impacts the distribution of iron in both sexes, (2) splenic erythrophagocytosis could play a role in this iron misdistribution. The higher iron concentrations in atrophied soleus from both sexes are associated with a decoupling between the increase in iron storage proteins (i.e., ferritin and myoglobin) and the decrease in levels of iron export proteins (i.e., FPN and FLVCR1), thus supporting an iron sequestration in skeletal muscle under extreme physical inactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Horeau
- Laboratory "Movement Sport and Health Sciences" EA7470, University of Rennes/ENS, Rennes, France
- INSERM, University of Rennes, INRAE, UMR 1317, Nutrition Metabolisms and Cancer (NuMeCan) Institute, Rennes, France
| | - Melissa Delalande
- Laboratory "Movement Sport and Health Sciences" EA7470, University of Rennes/ENS, Rennes, France
| | - Martine Ropert
- INSERM, University of Rennes, INRAE, UMR 1317, Nutrition Metabolisms and Cancer (NuMeCan) Institute, Rennes, France
- Elemental Analysis and Metabolism of Metals (AEM2) Platform, Univ Rennes CHU Pontchaillou, Rennes, France
| | - Patricia Leroyer
- INSERM, University of Rennes, INRAE, UMR 1317, Nutrition Metabolisms and Cancer (NuMeCan) Institute, Rennes, France
| | - Brice Martin
- Laboratory "Movement Sport and Health Sciences" EA7470, University of Rennes/ENS, Rennes, France
| | - Luz Orfila
- Laboratory "Movement Sport and Health Sciences" EA7470, University of Rennes/ENS, Rennes, France
| | - Olivier Loréal
- INSERM, University of Rennes, INRAE, UMR 1317, Nutrition Metabolisms and Cancer (NuMeCan) Institute, Rennes, France
- Elemental Analysis and Metabolism of Metals (AEM2) Platform, Univ Rennes CHU Pontchaillou, Rennes, France
| | - Frédéric Derbré
- Laboratory "Movement Sport and Health Sciences" EA7470, University of Rennes/ENS, Rennes, France
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Approaching Gravity as a Continuum Using the Rat Partial Weight-Bearing Model. Life (Basel) 2020; 10:life10100235. [PMID: 33049988 PMCID: PMC7599661 DOI: 10.3390/life10100235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
For decades, scientists have relied on animals to understand the risks and consequences of space travel. Animals remain key to study the physiological alterations during spaceflight and provide crucial information about microgravity-induced changes. While spaceflights may appear common, they remain costly and, coupled with limited cargo areas, do not allow for large sample sizes onboard. In 1979, a model of hindlimb unloading (HU) was successfully created to mimic microgravity and has been used extensively since its creation. Four decades later, the first model of mouse partial weight-bearing (PWB) was developed, aiming at mimicking partial gravity environments. Return to the Lunar surface for astronauts is now imminent and prompted the need for an animal model closer to human physiology; hence in 2018, our laboratory created a new model of PWB for adult rats. In this review, we will focus on the rat model of PWB, from its conception to the current state of knowledge. Additionally, we will address how this new model, used in conjunction with HU, will help implement new paradigms allowing scientists to anticipate the physiological alterations and needs of astronauts. Finally, we will discuss the outstanding questions and future perspectives in space research and propose potential solutions using the rat PWB model.
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Overbey EG, da Silveira WA, Stanbouly S, Nishiyama NC, Roque-Torres GD, Pecaut MJ, Zawieja DC, Wang C, Willey JS, Delp MD, Hardiman G, Mao XW. Spaceflight influences gene expression, photoreceptor integrity, and oxidative stress-related damage in the murine retina. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13304. [PMID: 31527661 PMCID: PMC6746706 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49453-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Extended spaceflight has been shown to adversely affect astronaut visual acuity. The purpose of this study was to determine whether spaceflight alters gene expression profiles and induces oxidative damage in the retina. Ten week old adult C57BL/6 male mice were flown aboard the ISS for 35 days and returned to Earth alive. Ground control mice were maintained on Earth under identical environmental conditions. Within 38 (+/-4) hours after splashdown, mice ocular tissues were collected for analysis. RNA sequencing detected 600 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in murine spaceflight retinas, which were enriched for genes related to visual perception, the phototransduction pathway, and numerous retina and photoreceptor phenotype categories. Twelve DEGs were associated with retinitis pigmentosa, characterized by dystrophy of the photoreceptor layer rods and cones. Differentially expressed transcription factors indicated changes in chromatin structure, offering clues to the observed phenotypic changes. Immunofluorescence assays showed degradation of cone photoreceptors and increased retinal oxidative stress. Total retinal, retinal pigment epithelium, and choroid layer thickness were significantly lower after spaceflight. These results indicate that retinal performance may decrease over extended periods of spaceflight and cause visual impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliah G Overbey
- University of Washington, Department of Genome Sciences, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Willian Abraham da Silveira
- Queen's University Belfast, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS), 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT9 5DL, UK
| | - Seta Stanbouly
- Department of Basic Sciences, Division of Biomedical Engineering Sciences (BMES), Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, 92350, USA
- Center for Genomics, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, 92350, USA
| | - Nina C Nishiyama
- Department of Basic Sciences, Division of Biomedical Engineering Sciences (BMES), Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, 92350, USA
| | | | - Michael J Pecaut
- Department of Basic Sciences, Division of Biomedical Engineering Sciences (BMES), Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, 92350, USA
| | - David Carl Zawieja
- Department of Medical Physiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Charles Wang
- Center for Genomics, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, 92350, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Willey
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Michael D Delp
- Department of Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Gary Hardiman
- Queen's University Belfast, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS), 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT9 5DL, UK
| | - Xiao Wen Mao
- Department of Basic Sciences, Division of Biomedical Engineering Sciences (BMES), Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, 92350, USA
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Mao XW, Nishiyama NC, Byrum SD, Stanbouly S, Jones T, Drew A, Sridharan V, Boerma M, Tackett AJ, Zawieja D, Willey JS, Delp M, Pecaut MJ. Characterization of mouse ocular response to a 35-day spaceflight mission: Evidence of blood-retinal barrier disruption and ocular adaptations. Sci Rep 2019; 9:8215. [PMID: 31160660 PMCID: PMC6547757 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-44696-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The health risks associated with spaceflight-induced ocular structural and functional damage has become a recent concern for NASA. The goal of the present study was to characterize the effects of spaceflight and reentry to 1 g on the structure and integrity of the retina and blood-retinal barrier (BRB) in the eye. To investigate possible mechanisms, changes in protein expression profiles were examined in mouse ocular tissue after spaceflight. Ten week old male C57BL/6 mice were launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on Space-X 12 at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on August, 2017. After a 35-day mission, mice were returned to Earth alive. Within 38 +/− 4 hours of splashdown, mice were euthanized and ocular tissues were collected for analysis. Ground control (GC) and vivarium control mice were maintained on Earth in flight hardware or normal vivarium cages respectively. Repeated intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements were performed before the flight launch and re-measured before the mice were euthanized after splashdown. IOP was significantly lower in post-flight measurements compared to that of pre-flight (14.4–19.3 mmHg vs 16.3–20.3 mmHg) (p < 0.05) for the left eye. Flight group had significant apoptosis in the retina and retinal vascular endothelial cells compared to control groups (p < 0.05). Immunohistochemical analysis of the retina revealed that an increased expression of aquaporin-4 (AQP-4) in the flight mice compared to controls gave strong indication of disturbance of BRB integrity. There were also a significant increase in the expression of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1) and a decrease in the expression of the BRB-related tight junction protein, Zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1). Proteomic analysis showed that many key proteins and pathways responsible for cell death, cell cycle, immune response, mitochondrial function and metabolic stress were significantly altered in the flight mice compared to ground control animals. These data indicate a complex cellular response that may alter retina structure and BRB integrity following long-term spaceflight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao W Mao
- Department of Basic Sciences, Division of Biomedical Engineering Sciences (BMES), Loma Linda University School of Medicine and Medical Center, Loma Linda, CA, 92350, USA.
| | - Nina C Nishiyama
- Department of Basic Sciences, Division of Biomedical Engineering Sciences (BMES), Loma Linda University School of Medicine and Medical Center, Loma Linda, CA, 92350, USA
| | - Stephanie D Byrum
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, 72202, USA.,Arkansas Children's Research Institute, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Seta Stanbouly
- Department of Basic Sciences, Division of Biomedical Engineering Sciences (BMES), Loma Linda University School of Medicine and Medical Center, Loma Linda, CA, 92350, USA
| | - Tamako Jones
- Department of Basic Sciences, Division of Biomedical Engineering Sciences (BMES), Loma Linda University School of Medicine and Medical Center, Loma Linda, CA, 92350, USA
| | - Alyson Drew
- Department of Basic Sciences, Division of Biomedical Engineering Sciences (BMES), Loma Linda University School of Medicine and Medical Center, Loma Linda, CA, 92350, USA
| | - Vijayalakshmi Sridharan
- Division of Radiation Health, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, 72202, USA
| | - Marjan Boerma
- Division of Radiation Health, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, 72202, USA
| | - Alan J Tackett
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, 72202, USA.,Arkansas Children's Research Institute, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - David Zawieja
- Department of Medical Physiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Willey
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Bowman Gray Center, Winston-Salem, NC, 27101, USA
| | - Michael Delp
- Department of Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Michael J Pecaut
- Department of Basic Sciences, Division of Biomedical Engineering Sciences (BMES), Loma Linda University School of Medicine and Medical Center, Loma Linda, CA, 92350, USA
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