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Research Containing: Male

Optic disc edema in an astronaut after repeat long-duration space flight

by on 22 August 2016in Biology & Biotechnology No comment

BACKGROUND: A number of ophthalmic findings including optic disc edema, globe flattening, and choroidal folds have been observed in several astronauts after long-duration space flights. The authors report the first astronaut with previously documented postflight ophthalmic abnormalities who developed new pathological changes after a repeat long-duration mission. METHODS: A case study of an astronaut with 2 long-duration (6 months) exposures to microgravity. Before and after his first long-duration space flight, he underwent complete eye examination, including fundus photography. Before and after his second flight, 9 years later, he underwent fundus photography, optical coherence tomography, ocular ultrasonography, and brain magnetic resonance imaging, as well as in-flight fundus photography and ultrasound. RESULTS: After his first long-duration mission, the astronaut was documented to have eye findings limited to unilateral choroidal folds and a single cotton wool spot. During a subsequent 6-month mission, he developed more widespread choroidal folds and new onset of optic disc edema in the same eye. CONCLUSION: Microgravity-induced anatomical changes that occurred during the first mission may have set the stage for recurrent or additional changes when the astronaut was subjected to physiological stress of repeat space flight.

Related URLs:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23851997

The First 10 Years of Aerobic Exercise Responses to Long-Duration ISS Flights

by on 22 August 2016in Biology & Biotechnology No comment

INTRODUCTION: Aerobic deconditioning may occur during International Space Station (ISS) flights. This paper documents findings from exercise testing conducted before, during, and after ISS expeditions. METHODS: There were 30 male and 7 female astronauts on ISS missions (48 to 219 d, mean 163 d) who performed cycle exercise protocols consisting of 5-min stages eliciting 25%, 50%, and 75% peak oxygen uptake (Vo(2peak)). Tests were conducted 30 to 90 d before missions, on flight day 15 and every 30 flight days thereafter, and on recovery (R) days +5 and +30. During pre- and postflight tests, heart rate (HR) and metabolic gas exchange were measured. During flight, extrapolation of the HR and Vo2 relationship to preflight-measured peak HR provided an estimate of Vo(2peak), referred to as the aerobic capacity index (ACI). RESULTS: HR during each exercise stage was elevated (P < 0.05) and oxygen pulse was reduced (P < 0.05) on R+5 compared to preflight; however, no other metabolic gas analysis values significantly changed. Compared to preflight, the ACI declined (P < 0.001) on R+5, but recovered to levels greater than preflight by R+30 (P = 0.008). During flight, ACI decreased below preflight values, but increased with mission duration (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Aerobic deconditioning likely occurs initially during flight, but ACI recovers toward preflight levels as flight duration increases, presumably due to performance of exercise countermeasures. Elevated HR and lowered oxygen pulse on R+5 likely results from some combination of relative hypovolemia, lowered cardiac stroke volume, reduced cardiac distensibility, and anemia, but recovery occurs by R+30. Related URLs:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26630198

Functional Fitness Testing Results Following Long-Duration ISS Missions

by on 22 August 2016in Biology & Biotechnology No comment

INTRODUCTION: Long-duration spaceflight missions lead to the loss of muscle strength and endurance. Significant reduction in muscle function can be hazardous when returning from spaceflight. To document these losses, NASA developed medical requirements that include measures of functional strength and endurance. Results from this Functional Fitness Test (FFT) battery are also used to evaluate the effectiveness of in-flight exercise countermeasures. The purpose of this paper is to document results from the FFT and correlate this information with performance of in-flight exercise on board the International Space Station. METHODS: The FFT evaluates muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and agility and includes the following eight measures: sit and reach, cone agility, push-ups, pull-ups, sliding crunches, bench press, leg press, and hand grip dynamometry. Pre- to postflight functional fitness measurements were analyzed using dependent t-tests and correlation analyses were used to evaluate the relationship between functional fitness measurements and in-flight exercise workouts. RESULTS: Significant differences were noted post space flight with the sit and reach, cone agility, leg press, and hand grip measurements while other test scores were not significantly altered. The relationships between functional fitness and in-flight exercise measurements showed minimal to moderate correlations for most in-flight exercise training variables. DISCUSSION: The change in FFT results can be partially explained by in-flight exercise performance. Although there are losses documented in the FFT results, it is important to realize that the crewmembers are successfully performing activities of daily living and are considered functional for normal activities upon return to Earth.

Related URLs:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26630199

The First Decade of ISS Exercise: Lessons Learned on Expeditions 1-25

by on 22 August 2016in Biology & Biotechnology No comment

INTRODUCTION: Long-duration spaceflight results in musculoskeletal, cardiorespiratory, and sensorimotor deconditioning. Historically, exercise has been used as a countermeasure to mitigate these deleterious effects that occur as a consequence of microgravity exposures. The International Space Station (ISS) exercise community describes their approaches, biomedical surveillance, and lessons learned in the development of exercise countermeasure modalities and prescriptions for maintaining health and performance among station crews. This report is focused on the first 10 yr of ISS defined as Expeditions 1-25 and includes only crewmembers with missions > 30 d on ISS for all 5 partner agencies (United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada). All 72 cosmonauts and astronauts participated in the ISS exercise countermeasures program. This Supplement presents a series of papers that provide an overview of the first decade of ISS exercise from a multidisciplinary, multinational perspective to evaluate the initial countermeasure program and record its operational limitations and challenges. In addition, we provide results from standardized medical evaluations before, during, and after each mission. Information presented in this context is intended to describe baseline conditions of the ISS exercise program. This paper offers an introduction to the subsequent series of manuscripts.

Related URLs:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26630187

Perception of affordances during long-term exposure to weightlessness in the International Space station

by on 22 August 2016in Biology & Biotechnology No comment

On Earth, visual eye height (VEH)–the distance from the observer’s line of gaze to the ground in the visual scene–constitutes an effective cue in perceiving affordance such as the passability through apertures, based on the assumption that one’s feet are on the ground. In the present study, we questioned whether an observer continues to use VEH to estimate the width of apertures during long-term exposure to weightlessness, where contact with the floor is not required. Ten astronauts were tested in preflight, inflight in the International Space Station, and postflight sessions. They were asked to adjust the opening of a virtual doorway displayed on a laptop device until it was perceived to be just wide enough to pass through (i.e., the critical aperture). We manipulated VEH by raising and lowering the level of the floor in the visual scene. We observed an effect of VEH manipulation on the critical aperture. When VEH decreased, the critical aperture decreased too, suggesting that widths relative to the body were perceived to be larger when VEH was smaller. There was no overall significant session effect, but the analysis of between-subjects variability revealed two participant profile groups. The effect of weightlessness was different for these two groups even though the VEH strategy remained operational during spaceflight. This study shows that the VEH strategy appears to be very robust and can be used, if necessary, in inappropriate circumstances such as free-floating, perhaps promoted by the nature of the visual scene.

Related URLs:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26224263

Long-Duration Spaceflight Increases Depth Ambiguity of Reversible Perspective Figures

by on 22 August 2016in Biology & Biotechnology No comment

The objective of this study was to investigate depth perception in astronauts during and after spaceflight by studying their sensitivity to reversible perspective figures in which two-dimensional images could elicit two possible depth representations. Other ambiguous figures that did not give rise to a perception of illusory depth were used as controls. Six astronauts and 14 subjects were tested in the laboratory during three sessions for evaluating the variability of their responses in normal gravity. The six astronauts were then tested during four sessions while on board the International Space Station for 5-6 months. They were finally tested immediately after return to Earth and up to one week later. The reaction time decreased throughout the sessions, thus indicating a learning effect. However, the time to first percept reversal and the number of reversals were not different in orbit and after the flight compared to before the flight. On Earth, when watching depth-ambiguous perspective figures, all subjects reported seeing one three-dimensional interpretation more often than the other, i.e. a ratio of about 70-30%. In weightlessness this asymmetry gradually disappeared and after 3 months in orbit both interpretations were seen for the same duration. These results indicate that the perception of "illusory" depth is altered in astronauts during spaceflight. This increased depth ambiguity is attributed to the lack of the gravitational reference and the eye-ground elevation for interpreting perspective depth cues.

Related URLs:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26146839

Measurements of jugular, portal, femoral, and calf vein cross-sectional area for the assessment of venous blood redistribution with long duration spaceflight (Vessel Imaging Experiment)

by on 22 August 2016in Biology & Biotechnology No comment

PURPOSE: To determine if 6 months in microgravity resulted in significant changes in the major central and peripheral veins indicating a redistribution of venous blood flow. METHODS: Ten astronauts participated in the study. Jugular vein (JV), portal vein (PV), femoral vein (FV), tibial vein (TibV), and gastrocnemius vein (Gast V) were assessed by echography for the measurement of vessel cross-sectional area. Inflight exams were conducted by astronauts using a volume capture method in which images collected were processed to produce a 3D reconstruction of the vessel which was later analyzed by a trained sonographer. Measurements were conducted pre-flight, at the beginning of the flight (day 15), near the end of the flight (4-5.5 months), and post-flight. RESULTS: During the flight, JV, PV, JV/PV ratio, and FV were found significantly increased from pre-flight at 15 days and 4-5.5 months (JV: 178 and 225%, p < 0.05; PV: 36 and 45%, p < 0.05; JV/PV ratio: 102 and 120%, p < 0.05; FV: 124 and 169%, p < 0.05). Conversely, calf veins decreased at day 15 and at 4-5.5 months (TibV: -45 and-52 %, p < 0.05; Gast V: -68 and -55%, p < 0.05). All veins returned to base line conditions 4 days after returning to Earth. CONCLUSIONS: The increase in JV, PV, and FV cross-sectional area during spaceflight confirmed that there was venous blood pooling in the cephalic, splanchnic, and pelvic regions. Further investigation is needed to determine the consequences of this fluid stagnation on the brain, eye, splanchnic, and pelvic organ morphology and or function. Related URLs:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25991027

Vision changes after spaceflight are related to alterations in folate- and vitamin B-12-dependent one-carbon metabolism

by on 9 June 2015in Biology & Biotechnology No comment

Approximately 20% (7 of 38) of astronauts on International Space Station (ISS) missions have developed measurable ophthalmic changes after flight. This study was conducted to determine if the folate- and vitamin B-12-dependent 1-carbon metabolic pathway is altered in these individuals. Since 2006, we have conducted experiments on the ISS to evaluate nutritional status and related biochemical indices of astronauts before, during, and after flight. Data were modeled to evaluate differences between individuals with ophthalmic changes (n = 5) and those without them (n = 15), all of whom were on ISS missions of 48-215 d. We also determined whether mean preflight serum concentrations of the 1-carbon metabolites and changes in measured cycloplegic refraction after flight were associated. Serum homocysteine (Hcy), cystathionine, 2-methylcitric acid (2MCA), and methylmalonic acid concentrations were 25-45% higher (P < 0.001) in astronauts with ophthalmic changes than in those without them. These differences existed before, during, and after flight. Preflight serum concentrations of Hcy and cystathionine, and mean in-flight serum folate, were correlated with change (postflight relative to preflight) values in refraction (P < 0.05), and preflight serum concentrations of 2MCA tended to be associated (P = 0.06) with ophthalmic changes. The biochemical differences observed in crewmembers with vision issues strongly suggest that their folate- and vitamin B-12-dependent 1-carbon transfer metabolism was affected before and during flight. The consistent differences in markers of 1-carbon metabolism between those who did and those who did not develop changes in vision suggest that polymorphisms in enzymes of this pathway may interact with microgravity to cause these pathophysiologic changes.

Related URLs:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22298570

Iron status and its relations with oxidative damage and bone loss during long-duration space flight on the International Space Station

by on 9 June 2015in Biology & Biotechnology No comment

BACKGROUND: Increases in stored iron and dietary intake of iron during space flight have raised concern about the risk of excess iron and oxidative damage, particularly in bone. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to perform a comprehensive assessment of iron status in men and women before, during, and after long-duration space flight and to quantify the association of iron status with oxidative damage and bone loss. DESIGN: Fasting blood and 24-h urine samples were collected from 23 crew members before, during, and after missions lasting 50 to 247 d to the International Space Station. RESULTS: Serum ferritin and body iron increased early in flight, and transferrin and transferrin receptors decreased later, which indicated that early increases in body iron stores occurred through the mobilization of iron to storage tissues. Acute phase proteins indicated no evidence of an inflammatory response during flight. Serum ferritin was positively correlated with the oxidative damage markers 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (r = 0.53, P < 0.001) and prostaglandin F2alpha (r = 0.26, P < 0.001), and the greater the area under the curve for ferritin during flight, the greater the decrease in bone mineral density in the total hip (P = 0.031), trochanter (P = 0.006), hip neck (P = 0.044), and pelvis (P = 0.049) after flight. CONCLUSION: Increased iron stores may be a risk factor for oxidative damage and bone resorption.

Related URLs:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23719548

Capacity of omega-3 fatty acids or eicosapentaenoic acid to counteract weightlessness-induced bone loss by inhibiting NF-kappaB activation: from cells to bed rest to astronauts

by on 9 June 2015in Biology & Biotechnology No comment

NF-kappaB is a transcriptional activator of many genes, including some that lead to muscle atrophy and bone resorption-significant concerns for astronauts. NF-kappaB activation is inhibited by eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), but the influence of this omega-3 fatty acid on the effects of weightlessness are unknown. We report here cellular, ground analogue, and spaceflight findings. We investigated the effects of EPA on differentiation of RAW264.7 monocyte/macrophage cells induced by receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand (RANKL) and on activation of NF-kappaB by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) or exposure to modeled weightlessness. EPA (50 microM for 24 hours) inhibited RANKL-induced differentiation and decreased activation of NF-kappaB induced by 0.2 microg/mL of TNF-alpha for 30 minutes or by modeled weightlessness for 24 hours (p < .05). In human studies, we evaluated whether NF-kappaB activation was altered after short-duration spaceflight and determined the relationship between intake of omega-3 fatty acids and markers of bone resorption during bed rest and the relationship between fish intake and bone mineral density after long-duration spaceflight. NF-kappaB was elevated in crew members after short-duration spaceflight, and higher consumption of fish (a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids) was associated with reduced loss of bone mineral density after flight (p < .05). Also supporting the cell study findings, a higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids was associated with less N-telopeptide excretion during bed rest (Pearson r = -0.62, p < .05). Together these data provide mechanistic cellular and preliminary human evidence of the potential for EPA to counteract bone loss associated with spaceflight.

Related URLs:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19874203