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Perspective on the impact of weightlessness on calcium and bone metabolismAs humans venture into space to colonize the moon and travel to distant planets in the 21st century, they will be confronted with a bone disease that could potentially limit their space exploration activities or put them at risk for fracture when they return to earth. It is now recognized that an unloading of the skeleton, either due to strict bed rest or in zero gravity, leads on average to a 1%-2% reduction in bone mineral density at selected skeletal sites each month. The mechanism by which unloading of the skeleton results in rapid mobilization of calcium stores from the skeleton is not fully understood, but it is thought to be related to down regulation in PTH and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 production. Bone modeling and mineralization in chick embryos is not affected by microgravity, suggesting that bone cells adapt and ultimately become addicted to gravity in order to maintain a structurally sound skeleton. Strategies need to be developed to decrease microgravity-induced bone resorption by either mimicking gravity's effect on bone metabolism, or enhancing physically or pharmacologically bone formation in order to preserve astronauts' bone health.
Document ID
20040172691
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Holick, M. F.
(Boston University School of Medicine MA 02215, United States)
Date Acquired
August 22, 2013
Publication Date
May 1, 1998
Publication Information
Publication: Bone
Volume: 22
Issue: 5 Suppl
ISSN: 8756-3282
Subject Category
Life Sciences (General)
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
short duration
manned
Flight Experiment
Review, Tutorial
Review
NASA Discipline Regulatory Physiology
Non-NASA Center
STS Shuttle Project
STS-29 Shuttle Project

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