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Space travel directly induces skeletal muscle atrophySpace travel causes rapid and pronounced skeletal muscle wasting in humans that reduces their long-term flight capabilities. To develop effective countermeasures, the basis of this atrophy needs to be better understood. Space travel may cause muscle atrophy indirectly by altering circulating levels of factors such as growth hormone, glucocorticoids, and anabolic steroids and/or by a direct effect on the muscle fibers themselves. To determine whether skeletal muscle cells are directly affected by space travel, tissue-cultured avian skeletal muscle cells were tissue engineered into bioartificial muscles and flown in perfusion bioreactors for 9 to 10 days aboard the Space Transportation System (STS, i.e., Space Shuttle). Significant muscle fiber atrophy occurred due to a decrease in protein synthesis rates without alterations in protein degradation. Return of the muscle cells to Earth stimulated protein synthesis rates of both muscle-specific and extracellular matrix proteins relative to ground controls. These results show for the first time that skeletal muscle fibers are directly responsive to space travel and should be a target for countermeasure development.
Document ID
20040141951
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Vandenburgh, H.
(Brown University School of Medicine and The Miriam Hospital Providence, Rhode Island 02906, United States)
Chromiak, J.
Shansky, J.
Del Tatto, M.
Lemaire, J.
Date Acquired
August 22, 2013
Publication Date
June 1, 1999
Publication Information
Publication: The FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Volume: 13
Issue: 9
ISSN: 0892-6638
Subject Category
Life Sciences (General)
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
NASA Discipline Musculoskeletal
NASA Experiment Number 9304010 1/2
STS-77 Shuttle Project
short duration
STS-66 Shuttle Project
Flight Experiment
manned
Non-NASA Center

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