In vitro chick pre-cardiac explant tissue differentiation during spaceflight on SpaceHab-02.
Chick precardiac tissue explants were cultured on the 8-day mission of STS-60, space shuttle Discovery. Development of in vitro cultures of precardiac chick tissue from embryo stages 5 though 8 (H-H) were initiated during orbit and were terminated after approximately fifteen hours of 37 degree C culture. Transmission electron microscopy and tritiated thymidine studies were performed postflight. No significant differences in cell proliferation were observed between flight and ground controls. Electron-microscopic studies revealed stage 8 explants were capable of differentiation during flight in a pattern which matched ground control tissues. As anticipated, stage 7 explant tissues had differentiated to a lesser extent compared to stage 8 tissues. Interestingly, stage 7 precardiac explant flight tissue differentiation was less than ground control tissue. This difference in differentiation between flight and ground cultures was enhanced in stage 6 tissues, as high levels of myofibril organization were only seen in ground controls. Other cellular components such as Golgi apparatus, junctional complexes, and mitochondria were present and appeared normal and healthy.
van Twest
J S
JS
Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan 66506-4904, USA.
Paulsen
A
A
Spooner
B S
BS
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D002642:Chick Embryo; D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment; D006321:Heart / Q000196:embryology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology*; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D013026:Space Flight; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D014893:Weightlessness