The effect of spaceflight on cartilage cell cycle and differentiation.
In vivo studies have shown that spaceflight results in loss of bone and muscle. In an effort to understand the mechanisms of these changes, cell cultures of cartilage, bone and muscle have been subjected to spaceflight to study the microgravity effects on differentiated cells. However it now seems that the cell differentiation process itself may be the event(s) most affected by spaceflight. For example, osteoblast-like cells have been shown to have reduced cellular activity in microgravity due to an underdifferentiated state (Carmeliet, et al, 1997). And reduced human lymphocyte growth in spaceflight was related to increased apoptosis (Lewis, et al, 1998). Which brings us to the question of whether reduced cellular activity in space is due to an effect on the differentiated cell, an effect on the cell cycle and cell proliferation, or an effect on cell death. This question has not been specifically addressed on previous flights and was the question behind the present study.
Doty
S B
SB
Hospital for Special Surgery, NY, USA.
Stiner
D
D
Telford
W G
WG
D000818:Animals; D002356:Cartilage / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D002642:Chick Embryo; D019927:Cyclin E / Q000378:metabolism; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D016370:Gene Products, rex / Q000378:metabolism; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D018878:Limb Buds; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D013026:Space Flight; D014893:Weightlessness
D019927:Cyclin E; D016370:Gene Products, rex; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D019344:Lactic Acid; D005947:Glucose