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Skeletal response to simulated weightlessness - A comparison of suspension techniquesComparisons are made of the skeletal response of rats subjected to simulated weightlessness by back or tail suspension. In comparison to pair-fed control rats, back-suspended rats failed to gain weight whereas tail-suspended rats exhibited normal weight gain. Quantitative bone histomorphometry revealed marked skeletal abnormalities in the proximal tibial metaphysis of back-suspended rats. Loss of trabecular bone mass in these animals was due to a combination of depressed longitudinal bone growth, decreased bone formation, and increased bone resorption. In contrast, the proximal tibia of tail-suspended rats was relatively normal by these histologic criteria. However, a significant reduction trabecular bone volume occurred during 2 weeks of tail suspension, possibly due to a transient inhibition of bone formation. The findings indicate that tail suspension may be a more appropriate model for evaluating the effects of simulated weightlessness on skeletal homeostasis.
Document ID
19870041573
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Wronski, T. J.
(Florida, University Gainesville, United States)
Morey-Holton, E. R.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 13, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1987
Publication Information
Publication: Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine
Volume: 58
ISSN: 0095-6562
Subject Category
Life Sciences (General)
Accession Number
87A28847
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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