title: Bone maturation and quality of bone material in rats flown on the space shuttle 'Spacelab-3 Mission'.
abstract: The maturation profiles of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and hydroxyproline in the femoral trabecular and cortical bone and in the thoracic vertebrae from male rats flown on the 7-day 'Spacelab-3 Mission' were measured by density gradient analysis. In rats exposed to a spaceflight environment, profiles of the matrix and mineral moieties were shifted toward both the lower (vertebrae) and higher density fractions (femurs and vertebrae), patterns indicating a decrease in bone growth/turnover. X-Ray diffraction of vertebrae indicated that spaceflight is associated with a decrease in apatite crystal size/perfection.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001846:Bone Development; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000378:metabolism*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D005269:Femur / Q000378:metabolism; D006909:Hydroxyproline / Q000378:metabolism; D008274:Magnesium / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008903:Minerals / Q000378:metabolism; D010710:Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013026:Space Flight; D013131:Spine / Q000378:metabolism; D014893:Weightlessness
chemical_list: D008903:Minerals; D010710:Phosphates; D008274:Magnesium; D006909:Hydroxyproline; D002118:Calcium