Ana L Romero-Weaver, Liyong Lin, Alejandro Carabe-Fernandez, Ann R Kennedy
Astronauts traveling in space missions outside of low Earth orbit will be exposed for longer times to a microgravity environment. In addition, the increased travel time involved in exploration class missions will result in an increased risk of exposure to significant doses of solar particle event (SPE) radiation. Both conditions could significantly affect the number of circulating blood cells. Therefore, it is critical to determine the combined effects of exposure to both microgravity and SPE radiation. The purpose of the present study was to assess these risks by evaluating the effects of SPE-like proton radiation and/or microgravity, as simulated with the hindlimb unloading (HU) system, on circulating blood cells using mouse as a model system. The results indicate that exposure to HU alone caused minimal or no significant changes in mouse circulating blood cell numbers. The exposure of mice to SPE-like proton radiation with or without HU treatment caused a significant decrease in the number of circulating lymphocytes, granulocytes and platelets. The reduced numbers of circulating lymphocytes, granulocytes, and platelets, resulting from the SPE-like proton radiation exposure, with or without HU treatment, in mice suggest that astronauts participating in exploration class missions may be at greater risk of developing infections and thrombotic diseases; thus, countermeasures may be necessary for these biological endpoints.
{"title":"Effects of Solar Particle Event-Like Proton Radiation and/or Simulated Microgravity on Circulating Mouse Blood Cells.","authors":"Ana L Romero-Weaver, Liyong Lin, Alejandro Carabe-Fernandez, Ann R Kennedy","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Astronauts traveling in space missions outside of low Earth orbit will be exposed for longer times to a microgravity environment. In addition, the increased travel time involved in exploration class missions will result in an increased risk of exposure to significant doses of solar particle event (SPE) radiation. Both conditions could significantly affect the number of circulating blood cells. Therefore, it is critical to determine the combined effects of exposure to both microgravity and SPE radiation. The purpose of the present study was to assess these risks by evaluating the effects of SPE-like proton radiation and/or microgravity, as simulated with the hindlimb unloading (HU) system, on circulating blood cells using mouse as a model system. The results indicate that exposure to HU alone caused minimal or no significant changes in mouse circulating blood cell numbers. The exposure of mice to SPE-like proton radiation with or without HU treatment caused a significant decrease in the number of circulating lymphocytes, granulocytes and platelets. The reduced numbers of circulating lymphocytes, granulocytes, and platelets, resulting from the SPE-like proton radiation exposure, with or without HU treatment, in mice suggest that astronauts participating in exploration class missions may be at greater risk of developing infections and thrombotic diseases; thus, countermeasures may be necessary for these biological endpoints.</p>","PeriodicalId":90510,"journal":{"name":"Gravitational and space research : publication of the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4209740/pdf/nihms-624001.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"32783135","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Paul C Billings, Ana L Romero-Weaver, Ann R Kennedy
Space travel beyond the Earth's protective magnetosphere risks exposing astronauts to ionizing radiation, such as that generated during a solar particle event (SPE). Ionizing radiation has well documented effects on blood cells and it is generally assumed that these effects contribute to the hematopoietic syndrome (HS), observed in animals and humans, following exposure to total body irradiation (TBI). The purpose of the current study was to assess the role of gender on the effects of gamma radiation on blood cells. C3H/HeN mice were irradiated with a 137Cs gamma source. Radiation had similar effects on white blood cells (WBCs), lymphocytes, and granulocytes in male and female C3H/HeN mice, while red blood cell (RBC) counts and hematocrit values remained stable following radiation exposure. Non-irradiated male mice had 13% higher platelet counts, compared with their female counterparts, and showed enhanced recovery of platelets on day 16 following radiation exposure. Hence, gender differences influence the response of platelets to TBI exposure.
{"title":"Effect of Gender on the Radiation Sensitivity of Murine Blood Cells.","authors":"Paul C Billings, Ana L Romero-Weaver, Ann R Kennedy","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Space travel beyond the Earth's protective magnetosphere risks exposing astronauts to ionizing radiation, such as that generated during a solar particle event (SPE). Ionizing radiation has well documented effects on blood cells and it is generally assumed that these effects contribute to the hematopoietic syndrome (HS), observed in animals and humans, following exposure to total body irradiation (TBI). The purpose of the current study was to assess the role of gender on the effects of gamma radiation on blood cells. C3H/HeN mice were irradiated with a <sup>137</sup>Cs gamma source. Radiation had similar effects on white blood cells (WBCs), lymphocytes, and granulocytes in male and female C3H/HeN mice, while red blood cell (RBC) counts and hematocrit values remained stable following radiation exposure. Non-irradiated male mice had 13% higher platelet counts, compared with their female counterparts, and showed enhanced recovery of platelets on day 16 following radiation exposure. Hence, gender differences influence the response of platelets to TBI exposure.</p>","PeriodicalId":90510,"journal":{"name":"Gravitational and space research : publication of the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4159766/pdf/nihms624000.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"32667753","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ABSTRACT Backlit droplet images are evaluated for droplet combustion experiments that have been performed on the International Space Station. The focus of the present analyses is on non-sooting or lightly-sooting droplets. The influences of diffraction, interference, and partial coherence on droplet images are considered via Fourier optics modeling. It is found that light diffraction at the droplet edge can contribute significantly to errors in droplet size measurements. Other error sources include background light variations and partial coherence effects. An image-processing algorithm is proposed to account for the effects of diffraction, partial coherence, and background light variations on measurements of droplet sizes.
{"title":"Interpretation of Backlit Droplet Images from ISS Droplet Combustion Experiments","authors":"Fei Yu, B. Shaw","doi":"10.2478/gsr-2014-0007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/gsr-2014-0007","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Backlit droplet images are evaluated for droplet combustion experiments that have been performed on the International Space Station. The focus of the present analyses is on non-sooting or lightly-sooting droplets. The influences of diffraction, interference, and partial coherence on droplet images are considered via Fourier optics modeling. It is found that light diffraction at the droplet edge can contribute significantly to errors in droplet size measurements. Other error sources include background light variations and partial coherence effects. An image-processing algorithm is proposed to account for the effects of diffraction, partial coherence, and background light variations on measurements of droplet sizes.","PeriodicalId":90510,"journal":{"name":"Gravitational and space research : publication of the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74903284","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ABSTRACT Exposure to long-duration microgravity leads to ocular changes in astronauts, manifested by a variety of signs and symptoms during spaceflight that in some cases persist after return to Earth. These morphological and functional changes are only partly understood and are of occupational health relevance. To investigate further into the molecular basis of the changes occurring in ocular tissue upon exposure to spaceflight, eyes were collected from male C57BL/6 mice flown on STS-135 (FLT) on landing day or from their ground control counterparts maintained at similar conditions within the Animal Enclosure Module (AEM). One eye was fixed for histological sectioning while the contralateral eye was dissected to isolate the retina for gene expression profiling. 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8OHdG) staining showed a statistically significant increase in the inner nuclear layer of FLT samples compared to AEM. Gene expression analysis in isolated retina identified 139 differentially expressed genes in FLT compared to AEM control samples. The genes affected were mainly involved in pathways and processes of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, inflammation, neuronal and glial cell loss, axonal degeneration, and herpes virus activation. These results suggest a concerted change in gene expression in the retina of mice flown in space, possibly leading to retinal damage, degeneration, and remodeling.
{"title":"Molecular Effects of Spaceflight in the Mouse Eye after Space Shuttle Mission STS-135","authors":"C. Theriot, S. Zanello","doi":"10.2478/gsr-2014-0001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/gsr-2014-0001","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Exposure to long-duration microgravity leads to ocular changes in astronauts, manifested by a variety of signs and symptoms during spaceflight that in some cases persist after return to Earth. These morphological and functional changes are only partly understood and are of occupational health relevance. To investigate further into the molecular basis of the changes occurring in ocular tissue upon exposure to spaceflight, eyes were collected from male C57BL/6 mice flown on STS-135 (FLT) on landing day or from their ground control counterparts maintained at similar conditions within the Animal Enclosure Module (AEM). One eye was fixed for histological sectioning while the contralateral eye was dissected to isolate the retina for gene expression profiling. 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8OHdG) staining showed a statistically significant increase in the inner nuclear layer of FLT samples compared to AEM. Gene expression analysis in isolated retina identified 139 differentially expressed genes in FLT compared to AEM control samples. The genes affected were mainly involved in pathways and processes of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, inflammation, neuronal and glial cell loss, axonal degeneration, and herpes virus activation. These results suggest a concerted change in gene expression in the retina of mice flown in space, possibly leading to retinal damage, degeneration, and remodeling.","PeriodicalId":90510,"journal":{"name":"Gravitational and space research : publication of the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80723434","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ABSTRACT High charge (Z) and energy (E) (HZE) particles in deep space have significantly contributed to the biological effects of space radiation, although they only account for less than 1% of the galactic cosmic rays (GCR) particle fluxes. Previously we have shown that combined radiation exposure of 2-Gy proton (1H) followed by 0.5-Gy iron (56Fe) ion particles increase transformation in human colonic epithelial cells (HCEC CT7). The present study was undertaken to characterize if additional HZE ions, such as oxygen (16O) and silicon (28Si) particles, also result in increased cell transformation. HCEC CT7 cells irradiated with 1-Gy 16O (250 MeV/nucleon), followed 24 hours later by 1-Gy 28Si particle (300 MeV/nucleon), showed an increase in proliferation, anchorage-independent growth, migration, and invasion abilities compared to unirradiated controls. In addition, we found that the β-catenin pathway was activated and that subsets of DNA repair genes were under-expressed in these transformed cells. Pretreatment with the radioprotector, CDDO-Me, 18 hours before and during irradiation prevented the HZE-induced transformation. These results can be interpreted to suggest that the mixed radiation exposure of 16O followed by 28Si has carcinogenic potential. Importantly, this transformation can be protected by CDDO-Me pre-treatment.
{"title":"Oxygen and Silicon Ion Particles Induce Neoplastic Transformation in Human Colonic Epithelial Cells","authors":"S. B. Kim, Lu Zhang, J. Shay","doi":"10.2478/gsr-2014-0003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/gsr-2014-0003","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT High charge (Z) and energy (E) (HZE) particles in deep space have significantly contributed to the biological effects of space radiation, although they only account for less than 1% of the galactic cosmic rays (GCR) particle fluxes. Previously we have shown that combined radiation exposure of 2-Gy proton (1H) followed by 0.5-Gy iron (56Fe) ion particles increase transformation in human colonic epithelial cells (HCEC CT7). The present study was undertaken to characterize if additional HZE ions, such as oxygen (16O) and silicon (28Si) particles, also result in increased cell transformation. HCEC CT7 cells irradiated with 1-Gy 16O (250 MeV/nucleon), followed 24 hours later by 1-Gy 28Si particle (300 MeV/nucleon), showed an increase in proliferation, anchorage-independent growth, migration, and invasion abilities compared to unirradiated controls. In addition, we found that the β-catenin pathway was activated and that subsets of DNA repair genes were under-expressed in these transformed cells. Pretreatment with the radioprotector, CDDO-Me, 18 hours before and during irradiation prevented the HZE-induced transformation. These results can be interpreted to suggest that the mixed radiation exposure of 16O followed by 28Si has carcinogenic potential. Importantly, this transformation can be protected by CDDO-Me pre-treatment.","PeriodicalId":90510,"journal":{"name":"Gravitational and space research : publication of the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87318861","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
J. Nakashima, J. A. Sparks, J. Carver, S. D. Stephens, Taegun Kwon, E. Blancaflor
ABSTRACT Here we report on the science verification test (SVT) and the payload verification test (PVT) that we conducted in preparation for experiments evaluating the impact of microgravity on Arabidopsis thaliana root development and cellular structure. Hardware used for these experiments was the Advanced Biological Research System (ABRS) and Kennedy Space Center (KSC) fixation tubes (KFTs). A simple procedure to delay seed germination prior to installation on ABRS involved the construction of a metal box with a single far-red (FR) light-emitting diode (LED). The exposure of Petri dishes containing seeds (ecotype Columbia) to FR light immediately after planting and maintaining Petri dishes in the dark prevented seed germination until exposure to white light on ABRS. Additional tests revealed that germination can be delayed for up to 10 weeks with FR light treatment. Seedlings fixed in KFTs preloaded with glutaraldehyde for subsequent microscopy studies were not adequately preserved. We suspected that poor fixation was due to the extended contact of glutaraldehyde with oxygen while stored on KFTs, which likely contributed to fixative oxidation. During PVT, minor modifications to address fixation problems encountered during SVT included storing KFTs with glutaraldehyde at 4o C in the dark, increasing glutaraldehyde concentration from 3% to 5%, and bubbling nitrogen (N2) gas over the glutaraldehyde solution prior to loading the KFTs. These changes led to improvements in the quality of microscopic images. Lessons learned from SVT and PVT allowed us to optimize some of the preflight protocols needed to successfully implement Advanced Plant EXperiments (APEX) in space.
{"title":"Delaying Seed Germination and Improving Seedling Fixation: Lessons Learned During Science and Payload Verification Tests for Advanced Plant EXperiments (APEX) 02-1 in Space","authors":"J. Nakashima, J. A. Sparks, J. Carver, S. D. Stephens, Taegun Kwon, E. Blancaflor","doi":"10.2478/gsr-2014-0005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/gsr-2014-0005","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Here we report on the science verification test (SVT) and the payload verification test (PVT) that we conducted in preparation for experiments evaluating the impact of microgravity on Arabidopsis thaliana root development and cellular structure. Hardware used for these experiments was the Advanced Biological Research System (ABRS) and Kennedy Space Center (KSC) fixation tubes (KFTs). A simple procedure to delay seed germination prior to installation on ABRS involved the construction of a metal box with a single far-red (FR) light-emitting diode (LED). The exposure of Petri dishes containing seeds (ecotype Columbia) to FR light immediately after planting and maintaining Petri dishes in the dark prevented seed germination until exposure to white light on ABRS. Additional tests revealed that germination can be delayed for up to 10 weeks with FR light treatment. Seedlings fixed in KFTs preloaded with glutaraldehyde for subsequent microscopy studies were not adequately preserved. We suspected that poor fixation was due to the extended contact of glutaraldehyde with oxygen while stored on KFTs, which likely contributed to fixative oxidation. During PVT, minor modifications to address fixation problems encountered during SVT included storing KFTs with glutaraldehyde at 4o C in the dark, increasing glutaraldehyde concentration from 3% to 5%, and bubbling nitrogen (N2) gas over the glutaraldehyde solution prior to loading the KFTs. These changes led to improvements in the quality of microscopic images. Lessons learned from SVT and PVT allowed us to optimize some of the preflight protocols needed to successfully implement Advanced Plant EXperiments (APEX) in space.","PeriodicalId":90510,"journal":{"name":"Gravitational and space research : publication of the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"72463218","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ABSTRACT Space travel beyond the Earth’s protective magnetosphere risks exposing astronauts to ionizing radiation, such as that generated during a solar particle event (SPE). Ionizing radiation has well documented effects on blood cells and it is generally assumed that these effects contribute to the hematopoietic syndrome (HS), observed in animals and humans, following exposure to total body irradiation (TBI). The purpose of the current study was to assess the role of gender on the effects of gamma radiation on blood cells. C3H/HeN mice were irradiated with a 137Cs gamma source. Radiation had similar effects on white blood cells (WBCs), lymphocytes, and granulocytes in male and female C3H/HeN mice, while red blood cell (RBC) counts and hematocrit values remained stable following radiation exposure. Non-irradiated male mice had 13% higher platelet counts, compared with their female counterparts, and showed enhanced recovery of platelets on day 16 following radiation exposure. Hence, gender differences influence the response of platelets to TBI exposure.
{"title":"Effect of Gender on the Radiation Sensitivity of Murine Blood Cells","authors":"P. Billings, A. Romero-Weaver, A. Kennedy","doi":"10.2478/gsr-2014-0002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/gsr-2014-0002","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Space travel beyond the Earth’s protective magnetosphere risks exposing astronauts to ionizing radiation, such as that generated during a solar particle event (SPE). Ionizing radiation has well documented effects on blood cells and it is generally assumed that these effects contribute to the hematopoietic syndrome (HS), observed in animals and humans, following exposure to total body irradiation (TBI). The purpose of the current study was to assess the role of gender on the effects of gamma radiation on blood cells. C3H/HeN mice were irradiated with a 137Cs gamma source. Radiation had similar effects on white blood cells (WBCs), lymphocytes, and granulocytes in male and female C3H/HeN mice, while red blood cell (RBC) counts and hematocrit values remained stable following radiation exposure. Non-irradiated male mice had 13% higher platelet counts, compared with their female counterparts, and showed enhanced recovery of platelets on day 16 following radiation exposure. Hence, gender differences influence the response of platelets to TBI exposure.","PeriodicalId":90510,"journal":{"name":"Gravitational and space research : publication of the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"69208643","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jenine K Sanzari, X Steven Wan, Gabriel S Krigsfeld, Andrew J Wroe, Daila S Gridley, Ann R Kennedy
Exposure to total-body radiation induces hematological changes, which can detriment one's immune response to wounds and infection. Here, the decreases in blood cell counts after acute radiation doses of γ-ray or proton radiation exposure, at the doses and dose-rates expected during a solar particle event (SPE), are reported in the ferret model system. Following the exposure to γ-ray or proton radiation, the ferret peripheral total white blood cell (WBC) and lymphocyte counts decreased whereas neutrophil count increased within 3 hours. At 48 hours after irradiation, the WBC, neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts decreased in a dose-dependent manner but were not significantly affected by the radiation type (γ-rays verses protons) or dose rate (0.5 Gy/minute verses 0.5 Gy/hour). The loss of these blood cells could accompany and contribute to the physiological symptoms of the acute radiation syndrome (ARS).
{"title":"The Effects of Gamma and Proton Radiation Exposure on Hematopoietic Cell Counts in the Ferret Model.","authors":"Jenine K Sanzari, X Steven Wan, Gabriel S Krigsfeld, Andrew J Wroe, Daila S Gridley, Ann R Kennedy","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Exposure to total-body radiation induces hematological changes, which can detriment one's immune response to wounds and infection. Here, the decreases in blood cell counts after acute radiation doses of γ-ray or proton radiation exposure, at the doses and dose-rates expected during a solar particle event (SPE), are reported in the ferret model system. Following the exposure to γ-ray or proton radiation, the ferret peripheral total white blood cell (WBC) and lymphocyte counts decreased whereas neutrophil count increased within 3 hours. At 48 hours after irradiation, the WBC, neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts decreased in a dose-dependent manner but were not significantly affected by the radiation type (γ-rays verses protons) or dose rate (0.5 Gy/minute verses 0.5 Gy/hour). The loss of these blood cells could accompany and contribute to the physiological symptoms of the acute radiation syndrome (ARS).</p>","PeriodicalId":90510,"journal":{"name":"Gravitational and space research : publication of the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4209750/pdf/nihms584800.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"32780476","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ABSTRACT The effects of microgravity on biological tissues are relatively unexplored, especially in regard to the mammalian female reproductive system. To begin to address this issue, the uterine tissue of female mice flown on NASA shuttle mission STS-118 was studied. Three sets of female mice, each consisting of 12 animals, were utilized in this study: flight animals, ground control animals, and baseline animals. The flight animals were housed in the Animal Enclosure Module (AEM) of the Commercial Biomedical Testing Module-2 (CBMT-2), which was a part of the payload of the shuttle’s mid-deck locker. Ground control animals were housed in ground-based AEMs, which were kept in a room specifically designed to mimic the environmental conditions of the flight units with regard to temperature, humidity, and light/dark cycles on a 48 hour delay. Baseline animals were housed in standard rodent cages at ambient temperature and humidity and a 12/12 light/dark cycle. The uterine tissue was stained using an Alcian Blue Periodic Acid Schiff staining procedure and the apical mucin layer thickness was subsequently analyzed. Analysis of the mucin layer in the uterus revealed that the thickness of the mucin layer in the flight tissue was significantly thicker that the mucin layers of the ground control and baseline tissue.
{"title":"The Effects of Spaceflight on Mucin Production in the Mouse Uterus","authors":"A. Forsman, H. Nier","doi":"10.2478/gsr-2013-0002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/gsr-2013-0002","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The effects of microgravity on biological tissues are relatively unexplored, especially in regard to the mammalian female reproductive system. To begin to address this issue, the uterine tissue of female mice flown on NASA shuttle mission STS-118 was studied. Three sets of female mice, each consisting of 12 animals, were utilized in this study: flight animals, ground control animals, and baseline animals. The flight animals were housed in the Animal Enclosure Module (AEM) of the Commercial Biomedical Testing Module-2 (CBMT-2), which was a part of the payload of the shuttle’s mid-deck locker. Ground control animals were housed in ground-based AEMs, which were kept in a room specifically designed to mimic the environmental conditions of the flight units with regard to temperature, humidity, and light/dark cycles on a 48 hour delay. Baseline animals were housed in standard rodent cages at ambient temperature and humidity and a 12/12 light/dark cycle. The uterine tissue was stained using an Alcian Blue Periodic Acid Schiff staining procedure and the apical mucin layer thickness was subsequently analyzed. Analysis of the mucin layer in the uterus revealed that the thickness of the mucin layer in the flight tissue was significantly thicker that the mucin layers of the ground control and baseline tissue.","PeriodicalId":90510,"journal":{"name":"Gravitational and space research : publication of the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73236761","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shane A. J. Lloyd, Virginia Ferguson, S. Simske, A. W. Dunlap, E. Livingston, T. Bateman
ABSTRACT During spaceflight, mice are housed in specially designed cages called the Animal Enclosure Module (AEM). Utilization of this flight hardware may affect the skeletal properties of housed animals, independent of microgravity considerations. To address this issue, we studied the effect of 13 days of AEM housing versus standard vivarium enclosure on female C57BL/6J mice (n=12/group). The effects of AEM housing were most pronounced in the trabecular compartment. AEM mice had 44% and 144% greater trabecular bone volume fraction and connectivity density, respectively, versus vivarium. A similar response was seen at the proximal humerus. We noted a decrease in proximal tibia osteoclast surface (-65%) and eroded surface (-73%) for AEM versus vivarium, while tibia trabecular mineralizing surface (MS/BS) was nearly three-fold greater. Surprisingly, there was also decreased osteoblast surface, as well as lower osteoid volume, surface, and thickness at this site. The effects of AEM housing on femur cortical bone were modest: there was greater periosteal MS/BS, with no effect at the endocortical surface, and lower femur stiffness. Taken together, we have demonstrated significant effects of AEM housing on ground control mice, particularly in the trabecular bone compartment. These findings suggest that an early increase in bone formation, perhaps due to altered behavior and loading in this unique housing environment, was followed by decreased bone formation and resorption as the animals adapted to their new environment. Characterization of spaceflight animal housing is critical to elucidating the true effects of microgravity on skeletal parameters and for the proper selection of ground-based controls.
{"title":"Housing in the Animal Enclosure Module Spaceflight Hardware Increases Trabecular Bone Mass in Ground-Control Mice","authors":"Shane A. J. Lloyd, Virginia Ferguson, S. Simske, A. W. Dunlap, E. Livingston, T. Bateman","doi":"10.2478/gsr-2013-0001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/gsr-2013-0001","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT During spaceflight, mice are housed in specially designed cages called the Animal Enclosure Module (AEM). Utilization of this flight hardware may affect the skeletal properties of housed animals, independent of microgravity considerations. To address this issue, we studied the effect of 13 days of AEM housing versus standard vivarium enclosure on female C57BL/6J mice (n=12/group). The effects of AEM housing were most pronounced in the trabecular compartment. AEM mice had 44% and 144% greater trabecular bone volume fraction and connectivity density, respectively, versus vivarium. A similar response was seen at the proximal humerus. We noted a decrease in proximal tibia osteoclast surface (-65%) and eroded surface (-73%) for AEM versus vivarium, while tibia trabecular mineralizing surface (MS/BS) was nearly three-fold greater. Surprisingly, there was also decreased osteoblast surface, as well as lower osteoid volume, surface, and thickness at this site. The effects of AEM housing on femur cortical bone were modest: there was greater periosteal MS/BS, with no effect at the endocortical surface, and lower femur stiffness. Taken together, we have demonstrated significant effects of AEM housing on ground control mice, particularly in the trabecular bone compartment. These findings suggest that an early increase in bone formation, perhaps due to altered behavior and loading in this unique housing environment, was followed by decreased bone formation and resorption as the animals adapted to their new environment. Characterization of spaceflight animal housing is critical to elucidating the true effects of microgravity on skeletal parameters and for the proper selection of ground-based controls.","PeriodicalId":90510,"journal":{"name":"Gravitational and space research : publication of the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"91132583","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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