Gene Expression and Structural Skeletal Responses to Long-Duration Simulated Microgravity in Rats

In this study, we aim to examine skeletal responses to simulated long-duration spaceflight (90 days) and weight-bearing recovery on bone loss using the ground-based hindlimb unloading (HU) model in adolescent (3-month old) male rats. We hypothesized that simulated microgravity leads to the temporal regulation of oxidative defense genes and pro-bone resorption factors, where there is a progression and eventual plateau; furthermore, early transient changes in these pathways precede skeletal adaptations.