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Mineral distribution in rat skeletons after exposure to a microgravity modelExposure to space flight models induces changes in the distribution of bone mineral in the human skeleton that has the features of a gravitational gradient. Regional bone mineral measurements with dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) in male adults exposed to head-down tilt bed rest for 30 days shown non-significant decrements in the pelvis and legs with 10% increases in the head region. Horizontal bed rest for 17 weeks reveals losses of bone mineral ranging from 2.2 to 10.4% from the lumbar spine to the calcaneus and an increase of 3.4% in the skull. Investigation of this phenomena would be most definitively carried out in an animal model. One candidate is the flight simulation model in the rat which removes body weight from the hind limbs and induces a cephalad fluid shift by suspending the animal by the tail. Weanling rats exposed to this model showed bone mineral to be lower in the hind limbs and higher in the skull after 3 weeks. These finds are similar in older 200 g animals after 2 weeks tail suspension. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of age on the distribution of skeletal mineral in this model.
Document ID
19960021720
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Arnaud, Sara B.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Harper, Jennifer S.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Navidi, Meena
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Date Acquired
August 17, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1995
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Gravitational Physiology, Volume 2, No. 1
Subject Category
Life Sciences (General)
Accession Number
96N24995
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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