Random root movements in weightlessness

The dynamics of root growth was studied in weightlessness. In the absence of the gravitropic reference direction during weightlessness, root movements could be controlled by spontaneous growth processes, without any corrective growth induced by the gravitropic system. If truly random of nature, the bending behavior should follow socalled 'random walk' mathematics during weightlessness. Predictions from this hypothesis were critically tested.
In a Spacelab ESA-experiment, denoted RANDOM and carried out during the IML-2 Shuttle flight in July 1994, the growth of garden cress ( Lepidium sativum ) roots was followed by time lapse photography at 1-h intervals.
The growth pattern was recorded for about 20 h. Root growth was significantly smaller in weightlessness as compared to gravity (control) conditions.
It was found that the roots performed spontaneous movements in weightlessness. The average direction of deviation of the plants consistently stayed equal to zero, despite these spontaneous movements. The average squared deviation increased linearly with time as predicted theoretically (but only for 8–10 h).
Autocorrelation calculations showed that bendings of the roots, as determined from the 1-h photographs, were uncorrelated after about a 2-h interval.
It is concluded that random processes play an important role in root growth. Predictions from a random walk hypothesis as to the growth dynamics could explain parts of the growth patterns recorded. This test of the hypothesis required microgravity conditions as provided for in a space experiment.     

Flight performance of the moth, Manduca sexta, at variable gravity

The tethered and free flight of Manduca sexta were studied during period 1,2, and 0 times normal gravity (g) produced in an aeroplane by flying through parabolic trajectories. Moths in tethered flight did not change their aerodynamic output in response to increases or decreases in gravity. Some moths in free flight at 0 g maintained a position in the box by flying against a surface, or into the angle between two surfaces. In the absence of gravity as an orienting stimulus, the positive dorsophotic response to light was dominant. As the period of 0 g continued, moths were increasingly likely to periodically reduce the amplitude of their wingbeat and/or stop flying, for the equivalent of a few wingbeats. Only at 0 g, moths very occasionally spread their wings and floated freely for a few seconds. At 0 g moths retained control of rolling and yawing movements but stability in pitch was greatly reduced or absent.     

微重力环境对大鼠血浆蛋白质谱的影响

目的:探讨模拟失重环境下大鼠血浆蛋白质组变化特征.方法:健康成年雄性 Wistar 大鼠88只,按模拟失重时相随机分为11组,分别为6 h、12 h、1 d、2 d、3 d、5 d、1周、2周、3周、4周及0 h 组(对照组).采用尾悬吊法建立模拟失重动物模型,实验结束时取动物静脉血,利用表面增强激光解吸电离飞行时间质谱(SELDI-TOF-MS)技术及 MB-WCX 磁珠检测大鼠静脉血浆蛋白质谱,应用 Ciphergen Protein Chip Software 3.2.0和 Biomarker Wizard 3.1.0软件分析数据.结果:发现18个重力敏感蛋白,其中在模拟失重早期,相对分子质量较小的6个蛋白的表达呈上调趋势,而相对分子质量较大的12个蛋白的表达则逐渐下调;在模拟失重后期(悬尾2~3周后),上述蛋白的表达均呈回归趋势.结论:模拟失重环境对大鼠静脉血浆蛋白质谱产生明显影响,研究重力敏感蛋白对进一步揭示失重对机体的影响及机制具有重要意义,并对医监医保可能有一定的价值.     

Tetanic contraction induces enhancement of fatigability and sarcomeric damage in atrophic skeletal muscle and its underlying molecular mechanisms

Muscle unloading due to long-term exposure of weightlessness or simulated weightlessness causes atrophy, loss of functional capacity, impaired locomotor coordination, and decreased resistance to fatigue in the antigravity muscles of the lower limbs. Besides reducing astronauts＇ mobility in space and on returning to a gravity environment, the molecular mechanisms for the adaptation of skeletal muscle to unloading also play an important medical role in conditions such as disuse and paralysis. The tail-suspended rat model was used to simulate the effects of weightlessness on skeletal muscles and to induce muscle unloading in the rat hindlimb. Our series studies have shown that the maximum of twitch tension and the twitch duration decreased significantly in the atrophic soleus muscles, the maximal tension of high-frequency tetanic contraction was significantly reduced in 2-week unloaded soleus muscles, however, the fatigability of high- frequency tetanic contraction increased after one week of unloading. The maximal isometric tension of intermittent tetanic contraction at optimal stimulating frequency did not alter in 1- and 2-week unloaded soleus, but significantly decreased in 4-week unloaded soleus. The 1-week unloaded soleus, but not extensor digitorum Iongus （EDL）, was more susceptible to fatigue during intermittent tetanic contraction than the synchronous controls. The changes in K＋ channel characteristics may increase the fatigability during high-frequency tetanic contraction in atrophic soleus muscles. High fatigability of intermittent tetanic contraction may be involved in enhanced activity of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2＋-ATPase （SERCA） and switching from slow to fast isoform of myosin heavy chain, tropomyosin, troponin I and T subunit in atrophic soleus muscles. Unloaded soleus muscle also showed a decreased protein level of neuronal nitric oxide synthase （nNOS）, and the reduction in nNOS-derived NO increased frequency of calcium sparks and elevated intracellular resting Ca2＋ concentration （[Ca2＋]i） in unloaded soleus muscles. High [Ca2＋]i activated calpain-1 which induced a higher degradation of desmin. Desmin degradation may loose connections between adjacent myofibrils and further misaligned Z-disc during repeated tetanic contractions. Passive stretch in unloaded muscle could preserve the stability of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2＋ release channels by means of keeping nNOS activity, and decrease the enhanced protein level and activity of calpain to control levels in unloaded soleus muscles. Therefore, passive stretch restored normal appearance of Z-disc and resisted in part atrophy of unloaded soleus muscles. The above results indicate that enhanced fatigability of high-frequency tetanic contraction is associated to the alteration in K＋ channel characteristics, and elevated SERCA activity and slow to fast transition of myosin heavy chain （MHC） isoforms increases fatigability of intermittent tetanic contraction in atrophic soleus muscle. The sarcomeric damage induced by tetanic contraction can be retarded by stretch in atrophic soleus muscles.     

间断性人工重力作用对模拟失重大鼠股骨的防护效应

目的：比较三种间断性人工重力对抗措施对模拟失重大鼠的影响。方法：SD雄性大鼠30只,按体重配对后随机等分为5组：对照组（C）,悬吊组（S）,站立组（G1）,1.5G（G2）和2.6G人工重力组（G3）。对抗组大鼠每日分别给予1h的站立、1.5和2.6G人工重力作用。利用物理测量和三点弯曲等实验,观察了3周间断性人工重力对大鼠股骨生长、生物力学特性的影响。结果：与S组大鼠比较：G1组弹性载荷、最大和刚性系数显著恢复（P＜0.05）;G2组直径（P＜0.01）和干重、密度（P＜0.05）,弹性载荷和最大载荷显著提高（P＜0.05）;G3组弹性载荷和最大载荷显著恢复（P＜0.01）。结论：三种对抗措施均显著改善了尾吊大鼠承重骨的生长力学特性,而1.5G的1h/d人工重力作用是较理想的对抗方法。     

四周模拟失重大鼠后身动脉平滑肌细胞钾电流的改变

本文采用全细胞膜片钳方法观察4周尾部悬吊大鼠（tail-suspended rats,SUS)隐动脉及肠系膜的动脉第2-6级动脉分支血管平滑肌细胞（vascular smooth muscle cells,VSMCs)钾电流密度的变化,结果表明：SUS大鼠后身动脉VSMCs的静息电位（RP）较对照大鼠（CON）后身动脉VSMCs的RP更负,SUS组隐动脉和肠系膜小鼠后身动脉VSMCs的静息电位（RP）较对照大鼠（CON）后身动脉VSMCs的RP更负,SUS组隐动脉和肠系膜小动脉VSMCs的全细胞钾电流密度较CON组显著增加,其中,SUS组的隐动脉和肠系膜小动脉VSMCs的大电导钙激活钙离子通道（BKca)和电压激活钾离子通道（Kv)电流密度较CON组的BKca和Kv电流密度均显著增加,以上结果提示,VSMCs的超极化及进一步引起的通过电压依赖性钙离子通道的钙内流减少可能是模拟失重引起后身动脉反应性降低的电生理机制之一。     

The effect of space flight on the production of actinomycin D by Streptomyces plicatus

The effect of space flight on production of the antibiotic actinomycin D by Streptomyces plicatus WC56452 was examined onboard the US Space Shuttle mission STS-80. Paired space flight and ground control samples were similarly prepared using identical hardware, media, and inoculum. The cultures were grown in defined and complex media under dark, anaerobic, thermally controlled (20°C) conditions with samples fixed after 7 and 12 days in orbit, and viable residuals maintained through landing at 17 days, 15 h. Postflight analyses indicated that space flight had reduced the colony-forming unit (CFU) per milliliter count of S. plicatus and increased the specific productivity (pg CFU⁻¹) of actinomycin D. The antibiotic compound itself was not affected, but its production time course was altered in space. Viable flight samples also maintained their sporulation ability when plated on agar medium postflight, while the residual ground controls did not sporulate. Received 21 August 2001/ Accepted in revised form 30 July 2002     

钙蛋白酶介导模拟失重大鼠心肌肌钙蛋白抑制亚基的降解

本文旨在观察尾部悬吊模拟失重大鼠心肌钙蛋白酶(calpain)与钙蛋白酶抑素(calpastatin)表达的变化,以探讨心肌肌钙蛋白抑制亚基(cardiac troponin I,cTnI)降解的可能机制。采用尾部悬吊模拟失重大鼠模型,Western blotting技术观测心肌calpain-1、calpain-2与calpastatin的表达;PD150606抑制calpain活性,分析cTnI降解程度的变化。结果显示:与同步对照组相比,悬吊2周与4周组大鼠心肌calpastatin表达呈显著性降低(P0.05),calpain-1表达未改变,calpain-2表达略有降低;但是,心肌calpain-1/calpastatin及calpain-2/calpastatin的比值在悬吊2周与4周组明显增高(P0.05,P0.01)。悬吊4周组cTnI降解显著高于对照组(P0.01);然而,用calpain非特异性抑制剂PD150606处理后,对照组及悬吊组cTnI的降解均被显著抑制(P0.01)。这些结果提示模拟失重大鼠心肌calpain活性增高可能增加cTnI的降解。     

A brief review of bone adaptation to unloading

Weight-bearing bone is constantly adapting its structure and function to mechanical environments. Loading through routine exercises stimulates bone formation and prevents bone loss, but unloading through bed rest and cast immobilization as well as exposure to weightlessness during spaceflight reduces its mass and strength. In order to elucidate the mechanism underlying unloading-driven bone adaptation, ground-based in vitro and in vivo analyses have been conducted using rotating cell culturing and hindlimb suspension. Focusing on gene expression studies in osteoblasts and hindlimb suspension studies, this minireview introduces our recent understanding on bone homeostasis under weightlessness in space. Most of the existing data indicate that unloading has the opposite effects to loading through common signaling pathways. However, a question remains as to whether any pathway unique to unloading （and not to loading） may exist.     

模拟失重对大鼠肠道菌群影响的研究

目的：研究模拟失重条件下大鼠肠道菌群变化情况。方法：选择性培养基分别对肠球菌、肠杆菌、类杆菌、乳杆菌以及双歧杆菌进行定量测定,扫描电镜观察大鼠盲肠上皮细胞的组织变化。结果：过路菌群中肠杆菌和肠球菌数量增加显著;原籍菌群中双歧杆菌减少十分明显,乳杆菌的数量也有不同程度的减少,而类杆菌的数量有增加的趋势。SD大鼠盲肠出现了肿胀细胞,上皮细胞颈毛排列紊乱、稀疏。结论：模拟失重条件下大鼠肠道微生态出现平衡失调。