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[Preliminary study on protecting effect of two kinds of Chinese medical herbs on changes of three physiology systems in suspended rats].

Objective. To observe the protecting effect of two kinds of Chinese medical herbs on changes of blood circulation, muscle and skeletal systems in tail suspended rats. Method. Changes of blood circulation, muscle and skeletal systems in tail suspended rats (n=15), Chinese medical herb group 1 (n=15) and Chinese medical herb group 2 (n=15) after 30 d tail suspension were compared with those in control group rats (n=15). Result. Two kinds of Chinese medical herbs have obvious effect on improving the condition of blood circulation, and have some effects on improving the muscle and skeletal systems in tail suspended rats. Conclusion. Chinese medical herbs have a good prospect of being used in space flight, and further studies are needed.

Animals↗

Elaboration of on-board automated training system.

UNLABELLED: Long-term space flight requires regular controlling of crewmembers physical state and exercise training to prevent negative effect of microgravity. Considering a limited telecommunication we suppose on-board automated training system to become an effective alternative of on-earth mission teams. THE PURPOSE: to elaborate an expert system software permitting to automate the process of solution elaboration to estimate cosmonaut current psycho-physiological state and to form an individual program of physical training to prevent negative effects of long-term space flight. The first problem--to develop a formalized algorithm for expert evaluation of physical working capability basing the results of on-board compulsory running test MC 108-2.

Adult↗

Effects of periodic weight support in a simulated weightless environment in preventing bone demineralisation.

Anti Orthostatic Hypokinetic posture in rats by tail suspension for 15 days (d) simulates the deconditioning effects of weightlessness on the weight bearing bones. The present study evaluates the effects of daily 4 hour (h) weight support (WS) during simulated weightlessness (S-W) in preventing these changes. Adult male albino rats were divided into three groups as (i) Control (CON, n = 12), (ii) Hind limb unweighing by tail suspension for 15 d (HU, n = 18), (iii) HU with daily 4 h WS (4 HRWS, n = 11). After 15 d tibia from all the animals were removed and subsequently dried, ashed and then calcium content of the bones were determined. HU showed reductions in the water content by 35.8%, organic matrix by 12.2% and calcium content by 33.4% of tibia. 4 h WS during S-W resulted in complete prevention of water loss and organic matrix loss and partial prevention of the loss of calcium content. Calcium content of tibia in 4 HRWS remained 15.2% less as compared to CON. These findings indicate that 4 h WS is partially successful in preventing the demineralisation effects of S-W on weight bearing bone tibia.

Animals↗

[Preventive effects of exercise training on bone loss during 21 d -6 degrees head down bed-rest].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the protective effects of exercise training during 21 d -6 degrees head down bed rest (HDBR) on bone loss. METHOD: Ten healthy young men were randomly divided into HDBR group and HD-BR exercise group, with 5 in each group. Both groups were exposed to -6 degrees head down bed rest for 21 d. The subjects in the exercise group performed exercise with a bicycle ergometer in supine position 1 h/d during bed rest. Femur bone mineral density (BMD), serum bone gla protein (BGP) as well as hydroxyproline/creatinine (HOP/Cr) were determined before and during 20 d HDBR. RESULT: As compared with the before HDBR values, average femur BMD decreased by 5.8% and 0.9% for HDBR group and HDBR and exercise group respectively. HOP/Cr significantly increased in the HDBR group and was significantly higher than the HDBR exercise group. BGP decreased in both groups with no significant difference. CONCLUSION: Exercise during 21 d -6 degrees HDBR is beneficial in preventing bone loss.

Adolescent↗

[Comparative evaluation of several methods preventing orthostatic disorders during simulation of the end-of-space-mission factors].

A new method for mitigation of the negative consequences of blood shift toward the cranial end as a result of simulation of the hemodynamic effects of microgravity (head-down tilt at -6 degrees) combines the lower body negative pressure (LBNP) and negative pressure respiration (NPR) to accelerate blood outflow from cerebral vessels and, additively, to restrain blood inflow from the lower body. The longitudinal hydrostatic pressure gradient is thus reproduced but main hemodynamic parameters assume values characteristic of the vertical posture. The objective was to compare the strength of LBNP and LBNP + NRP training in preventing orthostatic disorders following 7-d HDT. Subjects were 6 male volunteers aged 24 to 40 yrs. In the control experiment, every subject experienced episodes of orthostatic disorders. In the second experiment (LBNP), 4 subjects were afflicted; in the third experiment (LBNP + NPR), orthostatic disorders were minor, if at all. Absence of profound hemodynamic, autonomic or pre-syncope symptoms leads to the conclusion that combination LBNP + NPR is a more favorable preventive method than discrete LBNP.

Adult↗

[Effects of NO synthases inhibitor on cardiovascular deconditioning in rats after 7 d tail-suspension].

OBJECTIVE: To disclose the changes in pathophysiology of cardiovascular deconditioning (CVD) induced by tail-suspension (TS) and to explore the effects of NOS inhibitor on CVD in TS rats. METHOD: -30 degrees tail suspended rats were used as the model to simulate the physiological effects of microgravity. Wistar rats were randomly arranged into: control group (CON), 7 d TS group (TS 7 d) and TS 7 d + NOS inhibitor group (TS 7 d + L-NAME). Then, all the rats were subjected to +90 degrees head-up tilt to simulate the physiological effects of orthostatic stress (SO) after 7 d tail-suspension, only that the TS 7d + L-NAME rats were injected with 10(-6) M L-NAME (N-nitro-L-arginine methylester) through hypoglossal vein before tilting after 7 d TS. Carotid pressure and limb II ECG were measured with a PowerLab physiological system during 120 min tilt, and mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were analysized. RESULT: Only one transient episode of hypotension-bradycardia appeared during the tilt in CON rats, but seven episodes occurred in TS 7 d rats, while the TS 7 d + L-NAME rats has only a significant increase in MAP at 10 min. No differences were found between the other parameters in recumbent position and those during the tilt. CONCLUSION: The CVD in the rats induced by TS is relative to an increase of NO production. 10(-6) M L-NAME had an alleviating effects on the CVD, which might be due to the increase of peripheral resistance of blood vessels and the central sympathetic drive by the combination of L-NAME with NOS. The contribution of the perivascular nerves and pulmonary arteries to this effect remains to be further studied.

Animals↗

[Image analysis of cardiac muscle cytoskeleton under simulated microgravity based on gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM)].

OBJECTIVE: To study morphological changes of the cytoskeleton-microtubule (MT) of the fetal rat cardiac myocytes under simulated microgravity, and to quantify its image by utilizing the gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) parameters of the image. METHOD: Cytoskeleton images, including cellular microphotographs taken under normal or microgravity (clinostat) conditions, were quantified by gray level co-occurrence matrix parameters, and the pharmacological counter effect of quercetin against the influences of microgravity was estimated with these parameters. RESULT: The results showed that the texture of microtubules in the image became worse under simulated microgravity environment. It also showed that quercetin has certain counter effect against the influence of microgravity. CONCLUSION: The microtubule of the cardiac myocytes cytoskeleton becomes diffused under microgravity, and the GLCM parameters can well describe these variation. Quercetin has certain counter-effect against the influence of microgravity.

Animals↗

Effect of lower body negative pressure on orthostatic tolerance and cardiac function during 21 days head-down tilt bed rest.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the changes of orthostatic tolerance and cardiac function during 21 d head-down tilt (HDT) bed rest and effect of lower body negative pressure in the first and the last week in humans. Twelve healthy male volunteers were exposed to -6 degrees HDT bed rest for 21 d. Six subjects received -30 mmHg LBNP sessions for 1 h per day from the 1st to the 7th day and from the 15th to the 21st day of the HDT, and six others served as control. Orthostatic tolerance was assessed by means of standard tilt test. Stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO), preejection period (PEP) and left ventricular ejection time (LVET) were measured before and during HDT. Before HDT, all the subjects in the two groups completed the tilt tests. After 10 d and 21 d of HDT, all the subjects of the control group and one subject of the LBNP group could not complete the tilt test due to presyncopal or syncopal symptoms. The mean upright time in the control group (15.0 +/- 3.2 min) was significantly shorter than those in the LBNP group (19.7 +/- 0.9 min). SV and CO decreased significantly in the control group on days 3 and 10 of HDT, but remained unchanged throughout HDT in the LBNP group. A significant increase in PEP/LVET was observed on days 3 and 14 of HDT in both groups. The PEP/LVET in the LBNP group was significantly lower on day 3 of HDT, while LVET in the LBNP group was significantly higher on days 3, 7 and 14 of HDT than those in the control group. The results of this study suggest that brief daily LBNP sessions used in the first and the last weeks of 21 d HDT bed rest were effective in diminished the effect of head-down tilt on orthostatic tolerance, and LBNP might partially improve cardiac pumping function and cardiac systole function.

Adult↗

[Daily 4-h standing can prevent soleus atrophy induced by 4 weeks tail suspension in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of intermittent standing in counteracting the soleus atrophy induced by simulated microgravity. METHOD: Eighteen male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to 3 groups: control (CON), four-week tail-suspension (TS), and TS plus daily 4 h standing (TS + STD4). After 4 weeks, bilateral adrenal glands and soleus muscle were dissected and weighed. The left soleus was sectioned with cryostat and stained with ATPase staining. The cross sectional area (CSA) of type I and II fibers and the relative proportion of type I fibers were measured using Leica image analysis system. The right soleus was homogenized and stained with Coomassie Brilliant Blue following electrophoresis on 8% SDS-PAGE under 70 V and < 4 degrees C for 28 h. The Scion image software was used to evaluate the result of the densitometry of different types of MHC. RESULT: In TS, wet weights of the soleus, CSA of type I and II fibers, and proportion of type I fibers decreased obviously, as compared with those rats in CON (P<0.01 or P<0.05). The SDS-PAGE showed similar results as by ATPase staining in the proportion of MHC I. Whereas in TS + STD4, there were no significant differences of those parameters compared with those rats in CON. CONCLUSION: Daily 4-h standing fully prevented the soleus atrophy induced by simulated microgravity for 4 wk in rats.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Artificial gravity.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

[Regulative effects of Chinese herb-compound on blood rheology and circulatory system of rabbits under simulated weightlessness].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate effects of Chinese herb-compound on blood rheology and circulatory system of rabbits under simulated weightlessness in order to provide bases for protecting against the influence of simulated weightlessness on cardiovascular function. METHOD: Rabbits were exposed to head-down tilt (HDT -20 degrees) for 9 d to simulate weightlessness. The effect of Chinese herb-compound on indices related to blood rheology, blood-fat and orthostatic tolerance in these rabbits were examined. RESULT: After head-down tilt, hematocrit value and red blood cells deformability decreased significantly; cholesterol and low density lipoprotein increased markedly; plasma fibrinogen content and triglyceride showed increasing trend. Administration of the Chinese herb-compound didn't improve the blood rheology indices, but showed a trend to decrease triglyceride and to inhibit the increase of cholesterol. In the head-up tilt (HUT) plus lower body negative pressure (LBNP) experiment, orthostatic tolerance time of the rabbits in the control group decreased, and myocardial ischemic changes in ECG, such as dropped ST segment, inverse T wave, and arrhythmia were observed. While in the Chinese herb-compound group, the heart rate of the rabbits kept smooth, ischemic changes in ECG were not clear, and orthostatic tolerance time increased. CONCLUSION: The Chinese herb-compound shows an effect of preventing orthostatic tolerance from decreasing, and improves blood-fat metabolism. It regulates different human systems on the whole, and increases ability of adaptation to ill environment.

Animals↗

[Effects of 100 Hz vibration on ultrastructure of soleus muscle in tail-suspended rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of 100 Hz vibration on ultrastructure of intrafusal and extrafusal fibers in soleus muscle of tail-suspended rats. METHOD: Weightlessness was simulated by tail suspension of female rats. The ultrastructure of intrafusal and extrafusal fibers of soleus muscle were examined after exposure to 100 Hz vibration. RESULT: The ultrastructure of intrafusal and extrafusal fibers of soleus muscles showed obvious retrograde changes after 7 d tail suspension, whereas these changes were not obvious after 7 d tail suspension plus 100 Hz vibration. CONCLUSION: High frequency vibration can counteract the effect of simulated weightlessness on ultrastructure of intrafusal and extrafusal fibers in soleus muscles of rats.

Animals↗

Evaluation of treadmill exercise in a lower body negative pressure chamber as a countermeasure for weightlessness-induced bone loss: a bed rest study with identical twins.

UNLABELLED: Counteracting bone loss is required for future space exploration. We evaluated the ability of treadmill exercise in a LBNP chamber to counteract bone loss in a 30-day bed rest study. Eight pairs of identical twins were randomly assigned to sedentary control or exercise groups. Exercise within LBNP decreased the bone resorption caused by bed rest and may provide a countermeasure for spaceflight. INTRODUCTION: Bone loss is one of the greatest physiological challenges for extended-duration space missions. The ability of exercise to counteract weightlessness-induced bone loss has been studied extensively, but to date, it has proven ineffective. We evaluated the effectiveness of a combination of two countermeasures-treadmill exercise while inside a lower body negative pressure (LBNP) chamber-on bone loss during a 30-day bed rest study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight pairs of identical twins were randomized into sedentary (SED) or exercise/LBNP (EX/LBNP) groups. Blood and urine samples were collected before, several times during, and after the 30-day bed rest period. These samples were analyzed for markers of bone and calcium metabolism. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to determine statistical significance. Because identical twins were used, both time and group were treated as repeated variables. RESULTS: Markers of bone resorption were increased during bed rest in samples from sedentary subjects, including the collagen cross-links and serum and urinary calcium concentrations. For N-telopeptide and deoxypyridinoline, there were significant (p < 0.05) interactions between group (SED versus EX/LBNP) and phase of the study (sample collection point). Pyridinium cross-links were increased above pre-bed rest levels in both groups, but the EX/LBNP group had a smaller increase than the SED group. Markers of bone formation were unchanged by bed rest in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: These data show that this weight-bearing exercise combined with LBNP ameliorates some of the negative effects of simulated weightlessness on bone metabolism. This protocol may pave the way to counteracting bone loss during spaceflight and may provide valuable information about normal and abnormal bone physiology here on Earth.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

[Effects of head down tilt on intra-ocular pressure, near vision, and visual field and the protection effect of Chinese herbs].

Objective. To observe the influences of 21 d head down tilt (HDT) bed rest on the intra-ocular pressure, visual field and near vision in human and to study the countermeasure of Chinese herb against weightlessness. Method. Ten subjects were randomly divided into control group and Chinese herb group. -6 degrees HDT was used to simulate weightlessness. Intra-ocular pressure, near vision and vision field were measured before, during and after bed rest in both groups. Result. Intra-ocular pressure and near vision showed a wave-like decrease change during bed rest, and there exists a certain coherence between them. Visual field showed no obvious changes. Taking Chinese herb was able to antagonize the decreasing of intra-ocular pressure and near vision during various phases of bed rest. Conclusion. 1) Bed rest could lead to the decreasing of intra-ocular pressure and near vision; 2) Taking Chinese herb was able to antagonize the negative influences of bed rest on visual function.

Adult↗