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Skeletal muscle fiber, nerve, and blood vessel breakdown in space-flown ratsHistochemical and ultrastructural analyses were performed postflight on hind limb skeletal muscles of rats orbited for 12.5 days aboard the unmanned Cosmos 1887 biosatellite and returned to Earth 2 days before sacrifice. The antigravity adductor longus (AL), soleus, and plantaris muscles atrophied more than the non-weight-bearing extensor digitorum longus, and slow muscle fibers were more atrophic than fast fibers. Muscle fiber segmental necrosis occurred selectively in the AL and soleus muscles; primarily, macrophages and neutrophils infiltrated and phagocytosed cellular debris. Granule-rich mast cells were diminished in flight AL muscles compared with controls, indicating the mast cell secretion contributed to interstitial tissue edema. Increased ubiquitination of disrupted myofibrils implicated ubiquitin in myofilament degradation. Mitochondrial content and succinic dehydrogenase activity were normal, except for subsarcolemmal decreases. Myofibrillar ATPase activity of flight AL muscle fibers shifted toward the fast type. Absence of capillaries and extravasation of red blood cells indicated failed microcirculation. Muscle fiber regeneration from activated satellite cells was detected. About 17% of the flight AL end plates exhibited total or partial denervation. Thus, skeletal muscle weakness associated with spaceflight can result from muscle fiber atrophy and segmental necrosis, partial motor denervation, and disruption of the microcirculation.
Document ID
20050000890
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Riley, D. A.
(Medical College of Wisconsin Milwaukee 53226)
Ilyina-Kakueva, E. I.
Ellis, S.
Bain, J. L.
Slocum, G. R.
Sedlak, F. R.
Date Acquired
August 22, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1990
Publication Information
Publication: The FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Volume: 4
Issue: 1
ISSN: 0892-6638
Subject Category
Life Sciences (General)
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
NASA Experiment Number COS 1887-6
Non-NASA Center
NASA Discipline Number 00-00
NASA Discipline Musculoskeletal
unmanned
short duration
NASA Program Flight
Cosmos 1887 Project
Flight Experiment
NASA Experiment Number COS 1887-21

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