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Morphometric analysis of rat muscle fibers following space flight and hypogravityThe effect of hypogravity on striate muscles, containing both fast twitch glycolytic and slow twitch oxidative fibers, was studied in rats aboard two Cosmos biosatellites. Results of a computer-assisted image analysis of extensor digitorum muscles from five rats, exposed to 18.5 days of hypogravity and processed for the alkaline ATPase reaction, showed a reduction of the mean fiber diameter (41.32 + or - 0.55 microns), compared to synchronous (46.32 + or - 0.55 microns) and vivarium (49 + or - 0.5 microns) controls. A further experiment studied the ratio of fast to slow twitch fibers in 25 rats exposed to 18.5 days of hypogravity and analyzed at four different periods of recovery following the space flight. Using the previous techniques, the gastrocnemius muscle showed a reduction of the total muscle fiber area in square microns and a reduction in the percentage of slow fibers of flight animals compared to the control animals.
Document ID
19820057168
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Chui, L. A.
(Southern California, University Los Angeles, CA, United States)
Castleman, K. R.
(California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 10, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1982
Subject Category
Life Sciences (General)
Accession Number
82A40703
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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