Publication Date

9-6-2022

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Cell Reports

Volume

40

Issue

10

DOI

10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111279

Abstract

Spaceflight poses risks to the central nervous system (CNS), and understanding neurological responses is important for future missions. We report CNS changes in Drosophila aboard the International Space Station in response to spaceflight microgravity (SFμg) and artificially simulated Earth gravity (SF1g) via inflight centrifugation as a countermeasure. While inflight behavioral analyses of SFμg exhibit increased activity, postflight analysis displays significant climbing defects, highlighting the sensitivity of behavior to altered gravity. Multi-omics analysis shows alterations in metabolic, oxidative stress and synaptic transmission pathways in both SFμg and SF1g; however, neurological changes immediately postflight, including neuronal loss, glial cell count alterations, oxidative damage, and apoptosis, are seen only in SFμg. Additionally, progressive neuronal loss and a glial phenotype in SF1g and SFμg brains, with pronounced phenotypes in SFμg, are seen upon acclimation to Earth conditions. Overall, our results indicate that artificial gravity partially protects the CNS from the adverse effects of spaceflight.

Funding Number

5 U54 GM104944

Funding Sponsor

National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Keywords

acclimation, artificial gravity, brain morphology, CP: Neuroscience, Drosophila, ISS, microgravity, oxidative stress, spaceflight

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Department

Nursing; Biological Sciences

Download

Share

COinS