Menu 
  • Home
  • Research on Station
        • Benefits of Research on the ISS
        • Industrial R&D
        • Current Project Pipeline
        • Researcher Interviews
      • Current RFI

        hardware

        RFI-Organs-On-Chips Research

      • Researcher Interviews

        No items found
  • Getting to Space
        • Getting to Space
        • Implementation Partners
        • ISS Hardware
        • Proposal Submission Process
        • Launch Vehicles
        • Support Services
      • Recent Posts

        No items found
      • Projects in Flight

        • GLASS AIS TransponderGlobal AIS on Space Station (GLASS)
        • MultiLab: Research Server for the ISS
        • Story Time from Space – 2
        • NIH-Osteo
        • Materials Testing: The Evaluation of Gumstix Modules in Low Earth Orbit
        View Current ISS Project Pipeline »
  • Research Library
        • ISS National Lab Research Database
        • ISS National Lab Reports
        • Web Resources
        • Research Apps
      • Recently Added Research

        • SUBSONIC MOTION OF A PROJECTILE IN A FLUID COMPLEX PLASMA UNDER MICROGRAVITY CONDITIONS
        • Coactivator-Dependent Oscillation of Chromatin Accessibility Dictates Circadian Gene Amplitude via REV-ERB Loading
        • Transient gene and microRNA expression profile changes of confluent human fibroblast cells in spaceflight
      • Popular Tags

        • Cell Differentiation
        • Earth Observation
        • Fluid physics
        • Gene Expression
        • Human Research
        • Material science
        • Mice
        • Microbiology
        • Simulated microgravity
        • Technology demonstration
  • Make Contact
  • Home
  • Research on Station
    • Benefits of Microgravity
    • Industrial R&D
    • Current Project Pipeline
    • Research Opportunities
    • Researcher Interviews
  • Facilities & Hardware
    • ISS Hardware
    • Implementation Partners
  • Getting to Space
    • Getting to Space
    • Proposal Submission Process
    • Launch Vehicles
  • Research Library
    • Research Apps
    • Researcher Guides
    • Resources
    • Publication Database

« Go Back

Genotype, B-vitamin status, and androgens affect spaceflight-induced ophthalmic changes

Zwart, S. R., et al. (2016). "Genotype, B-vitamin status, and androgens affect spaceflight-induced ophthalmic changes." FASEB J 30 1: 141-8

Ophthalmic changes have occurred in a subset of astronauts on International Space Station missions. Visual deterioration is considered the greatest human health risk of spaceflight. Affected astronauts exhibit higher concentrations of 1-carbon metabolites (e.g., homocysteine) before flight. We hypothesized that genetic variations in 1-carbon metabolism genes contribute to susceptibility to ophthalmic changes in astronauts. We investigated 5 polymorphisms in the methionine synthase reductase (MTRR), methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT), and cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS) genes and their association with ophthalmic changes after flight in 49 astronauts. The number of G alleles of MTRR 66 and C alleles of SHMT1 1420 both contributed to the odds of visual disturbances. Preflight dehydroepiandrosterone was positively associated with cotton wool spots, and serum testosterone response during flight was associated with refractive change. Block regression showed that B-vitamin status and genetics were significant predictors of many of the ophthalmic outcomes that we observed. In one example, genetics trended toward improving (P = 0.10) and B-vitamin status significantly improved (P < 0.001) the predictive model for refractive change after flight. We document an association between MTRR 66 and SHMT1 1420 polymorphisms and spaceflight-induced vision changes. This line of research could lead to therapeutic options for both space travelers and terrestrial patients. Related URLs:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26316272

ISSN: 1530-6860 (Electronic) 0892-6638 (Linking)

DOI: 10.1096/fj.15-278457

PMCID: PMC4684521

Accession Number: 26316272

Share this
0
0
0
Tags: Adult, Aged, Androgens/*genetics, Eye, Female, Ferredoxin-NADP Reductase/*genetics, Genetic/genetics, Genotype, Glycine Hydroxymethyltransferase/*genetics, Human, Humans, Male, methionine synthase reductase, Middle Aged, ophthalmetry, Polymorphism, SHMT protein, Space Flight, Vision, Visual perception, Vitamins/*genetics