Leaf proteomic analysis of three rice heritable mutants after seed space flight

To explore the proteomic changes of heritable variant rice plants induced by space environment, three mutants were selected after seed space flight by comparing the phenotypes with their on-ground controls. R955 grew more tillers and became dwarf, 971-5 acquired higher grain yield and better stress resistance, 974-5 matured earlier. Leaf proteins were extracted during the tiller development and analyzed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-D PAGE). More than 300 proteins were detected as reproducible Coomassie Brilliant Blue stained spots with pI values from around 4.0 to 7.0. Five proteins that changed significantly over the controls were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). The main functions of these proteins were photosynthesis, stress defense and metabolism including RuBisCO activase, glycine rich RNA binding protein, peroxidase, triosephosphate isomerase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, which might be probably associated with the altered phenotypes. Quantitative analyses were also applied: less total protein spots and more down-regulated protein spots were detected in the mutants, indicating there might be a major loss of protein in heritable variant rice plants after seed space flight. These results may provide new insights to understand the biological effects of space environment to rice.     

Korean space food development: Ready-to-eat Kimchi, a traditional Korean fermented vegetable,sterilized with high-dose gamma irradiation

Addition of calcium lactate and vitamin C, a mild heating, deep-freezing, and gamma irradiation at 25 kGy were conducted to prepare Kimchi as a ready-to-eat space food. It was confirmed that the space food was sterilized by an irradiation at 25 kGy through incubation at 37 °C for 30 days. The hardness of the Space Kimchi (SK) was lower than the untreated Kimchi (CON), but higher than the irradiated Kimchi (IR). Also, this result was supported by the scanning electron microscopic observation. Sensory attributes of the SK were similar to CON, and maintained during preservation at 35 °C for 30 days. According to the Ames test, Kimchi sterilized with a high-dose irradiation exerted no mutagenic activity in the bacterial strains of Salmonella typhimurium. And, the SK was certificated for use in space flight conditions during 30 days by the Russian Institute of Biomedical Problems.     

Changes in the central nervous system during long-duration space flight: implications for neuro-imaging.

The purpose of this paper is to review the potential functional and morphological effects of long duration space flight on the human central nervous system (CNS) and how current neuroimaging techniques may be utilized to study these effects. It must be determined if there will be any detrimental changes to the CNS from long term exposure to the space environment if human beings are to plan interplanetary missions or establish permanent space habitats. Research to date has focused primarily on the short term changes in the CNS as the result of space flight. The space environment has many factors such as weightlessness, electromagnetic fields, and radiation, that may impact upon the function and structure of the CNS. CNS changes known to occur during and after long term space flight include neurovestibular disturbances, cephalic fluid shifts, alterations in sensory perception, changes in proprioception, psychological disturbances, and cognitive changes. Animal studies have shown altered plasticity of the neural cytoarchitecture, decreased neuronal metabolism in the hypothalamus, and changes in neurotransmitter concentrations. Recent progress in the ability to study brain morphology, cerebral metabolism, and neurochemistry in vivo in the human brain would provide ample opportunity to investigate many of the changes that occur in the CNS as a result of space flight. These methods include positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).     

Simultaneous measurement of multiple radiation-induced protein expression profiles using the Luminex(TM) system.

Space flight results in the exposure of astronauts to a mixed field of radiation composed of energetic particles of varying energies, and biological indicators of space radiation exposure provides a better understanding of the associated long-term health risks. Current methods of biodosimetry have employed the use of cytogenetic analysis for biodosimetry, and more recently the advent of technological progression has led to advanced research in the use of genomic and proteomic expression profiling to simultaneously assess biomarkers of radiation exposure. We describe here the technical advantages of the Luminex(TM) 100 system relative to traditional methods and its potential as a tool to simultaneously profile multiple proteins induced by ionizing radiation. The development of such a bioassay would provide more relevant post-translational dynamics of stress response and will impart important implications in the advancement of space and other radiation contact monitoring.     

180天长期密闭环境对志愿者骨代谢、糖脂代谢的影响及其相关性分析

长期空间飞行过程中航天员处于狭小密闭的失重环境中,密闭环境对机体骨代谢与糖脂代谢的影响尚不明确.通过4人180天受控生态生保系统集成实验,分析长期处于密闭环境的4名志愿者血清中骨代谢、糖脂代谢指标变化,并根据骨与能量代谢相互调控理论,分析二者相关性.实验结果表明,长期密闭舱内生活影响了骨代谢与糖脂代谢,表现为骨形成指标...     

Simulation analysis for effects of bone loss on acceleration tolerance of human lumbar vertebra

The purpose of the present study was to analyze and predict the changes in acceleration tolerance of human vertebra as a result of bone loss caused by long-term space flight. A human L3–L4 vertebra FEM model was constructed, in which the cancellous bone was separated, and surrounding ligaments were also taken into account. The simulation results demonstrated that bone loss has more of an effect on the acceleration tolerance in x-direction. The results serve to aid in the creation of new acceleration tolerance standards, ensuring astronauts return home safely after long-term space flight. This study shows that more attention should be focused on the bone degradation of crew members and to create new protective designs for space capsules in the future.     

Medical survey of European astronauts during Mir missions

This paper reviews the medical operations performed on six European astronauts during seven space missions on board the space station Mir. These missions took place between November 1988 and August 1999, and their duration ranged from 14 days to 189 days. Steps of pre-flight medical selection and flight certification are presented. Countermeasures program used during the flight, as well as rehabilitation program following short and long-duration missions are described. Also reviewed are medical problems encountered during the flight, post-flight physiological changes such as orthostatic intolerance, exercise capacity, blood composition, muscle atrophy, bone density, and radiation exposure.     

Metabolic energy required for flight.

This paper reviews data available from U.S. and U.S.S.R. studies on energy metabolism in the microgravity of space flight. Energy utilization and energy availability in space seem to be similar to those on Earth. However, negative nitrogen balances in space in the presence of adequate energy and protein intakes and in-flight exercise, suggest that lean body mass decreases in space. Metabolic studies during simulated (bed rest) and actual microgravity have shown changes in blood glucose, fatty acids, and insulin levels, suggesting that energy metabolism may be altered during flight. Future research should focus on the interactions of lean body mass, diet, and exercise in space and their roles in energy metabolism during space flight.     

Cellular changes in microgravity and the design of space radiation experiments.

Cell metabolism, secretion and cell-cell interactions can be altered during space flight. Early radiobiology experiments have demonstrated synergistic effects of radiation and microgravity as indicated by increased mutagenesis, increased chromosome aberrations, inhibited development, and retarded growth. Microgravity-induced changes in immune cell functions include reduced blastogenesis and cell-mediated, delayed-type hypersensitivity responses, increased cytokine secretions, but inhibited cytotoxic effects and macrophage differentiation. These effects are important because of the high radiosensitivity of immune cells. It is difficult to compare ground studies with space radiation biology experiments because of the complexity of the space radiation environment, types of radiation damage and repair mechanisms. Altered intracellular functions and molecular mechanisms must be considered in the design and interpretation of space radiation experiments. Critical steps in radiocarcinogenesis could be affected. New cell systems and hardware are needed to determine the biological effectiveness of the low dose rate, isotropic, multispectral space radiation and the potential usefulness of radioprotectants during space flight.     

Radiation-induced health effects on atmospheric flight crew members: clues for a radiation-related risk analysis.

There are few human data on low-dose-rate-radiation exposure and the consequent acute and late effects. This fact makes it difficult to assess health risks due to radiation in the space environment, especially for long-term missions. Epidemiological data on civilian flight personnel cohorts can provide information on effects due to the low-dose and low-dose rate mixed high- and low-LET radiation environment in the earth's atmosphere. The physical characteristics of the radiation environment of the atmosphere make the results of the studies of commercial flight personnel relevant to the studies of activities in space. The cooperative international effort now in progress to investigate dose reconstructions will contribute to our understanding of radiation risks for space exploration.     

Effects of UV-B radiation on photosynthesis activity of Wolffia arrhiza as probed by chlorophyll fluorescence transients

The higher plant Wolffia arrhiza is regarded to be well suited concerning the provision of photosynthetic products in the cycle of matter of a Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) to be established in the context of extraterrestrial, human-based colonization and long-term space flight. Since UV radiation is one major extraterrestrial environmental stress for growth of any plant, effects of UV-B radiation on W. arrhiza were assessed in the present study. We found that UV-B radiation significantly inhibited photosynthetic CO₂ assimilation activity, and the contents of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b (Chl a, Chl b) and carotenoids considerably decreased when plants were exposed to UV-B radiation for 12 h. High UV-B radiation also declined the quantum yield of primary photochemistry (φ_po), the quantum yield for electron transport (φ_Eo) and the efficiency per trapped excitation (Ψ_o) in W. arrhiza simultaneously, while the amount of active PSII reaction centers per excited cross section (RC/CS) and the total number of active reaction centers per absorption (RC/ABS) had comparative changes. These results indicate that the effects of UV-B radiation on photosynthesis of W. arrhiza is due to an inhibition of the electron transport and via inactivation of reaction centers, but the inhibition may take place at more than one site in the photosynthetic apparatus.     

Effects of simulated weightlessness on fish otolith growth: Clinostat versus Rotating-Wall Vessel

Stimulus dependence is a general feature of developing sensory systems. It has been shown earlier that the growth of inner ear heavy stones (otoliths) of late-stage Cichlid fish (Oreochromis mossambicus) and Zebrafish (Danio rerio) is slowed down by hypergravity, whereas microgravity during space flight yields an opposite effect, i.e. larger than 1 g otoliths, in Swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri) and in Cichlid fish late-stage embryos. These and related studies proposed that otolith growth is actively adjusted via a feedback mechanism to produce a test mass of the appropriate physical capacity. Using ground-based techniques to apply simulated weightlessness, long-term clinorotation (CR; exposure on a fast-rotating Clinostat with one axis of rotation) led to larger than 1 g otoliths in late-stage Cichlid fish. Larger than normal otoliths were also found in early-staged Zebrafish embryos after short-term Wall Vessel Rotation (WVR; also regarded as a method to simulate weightlessness). These results are basically in line with the results obtained on Swordtails from space flight.     

Space flight, microgravity, stress, and immune responses.

Exposure of animals and humans to space flight conditions has resulted in numerous alterations in immunological parameters. Decreases in lymphocyte blastogenesis, cytokine production, and natural killer cell activity have all been reported after space flight. Alterations in leukocyte subset distribution have also been reported after flight of humans and animals in space. The relative contribution of microgravity conditions and stress to the observed results has not been established. Antiorthostatic, hypokinetic, hypodynamic, suspension of rodents and chronic head-down tilt bed-rest of humans have been used to model effects of microgravity on immune responses. After use of these models, some effects of space flight on immune responses, such as decreases in cytokine function, were observed, but others, such as alterations in leukocyte subset distribution, were not observed. These results suggest that stresses that occur during space flight could combine with microgravity conditions in inducing the changes seen in immune responses after space flight. The biological/biomedical significance of space flight induced changes in immune parameters remains to be established. Grant Numbers: NCC2-859, NAG2-933.     

Summing-up cosmonaut participation in long-term space flights.

The health condition and work capacity of space travellers during many flights remained adequate. Medical examinations performed during and after space flights consistently revealed the following symptom-complexes: space motion sickness, changes in the muscles system, hemodynamics, fluid-electrolyte balance and its regulation, calcium metabolism and bone density, transient erythrocytopenia and immunity decline. This paper presents a detailed discussion of the changes observed in space flight.     

太空环境对肿瘤细胞生理特性的影响

将3种肿瘤细胞搭载于“神舟4号”的卫星返回舱内,经过7天太空飞行,回收后对存活细胞进行单克隆化,观察细胞形态,并测定了细胞周期、黏附力及细胞因子表达.结果显示,经太空飞行,小鼠黑色素瘤B16细胞的周期发生改变,G1期细胞明显增多(p<0.05),并表现多种细胞形态;人肺鳞癌细胞L78对血管内皮细胞黏附力明显减弱,但经传代培养其黏附力恢复且超过对照组细胞;Caski细胞IL-2、IL-8、TNF和TGF的表达均明显增加,而L78细胞上述4种细胞因子的表达均显著下降.结论,太空环境可影响肿瘤细胞的某些生理特性,但可否影响肿瘤细胞的免疫原性,仍需做进一步的实验.