title: Activation of nuclear transcription factor-kappaB in mouse brain induced by a simulated microgravity environment.
abstract: Microgravity induces inflammatory responses and modulates immune functions that may increase oxidative stress. Exposure to a microgravity environment induces adverse neurological effects; however, there is little research exploring the etiology of these effects resulting from exposure to such an environment. It is also known that spaceflight is associated with increase in oxidative stress; however, this phenomenon has not been reproduced in land-based simulated microgravity models. In this study, an attempt has been made to show the induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in mice brain, using ground-based microgravity simulator. Increased ROS was observed in brain stem and frontal cortex with concomitant decrease in glutathione, on exposing mice to simulated microgravity for 7 d. Oxidative stress-induced activation of nuclear factor-kappaB was observed in all the regions of the brain. Moreover, mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase was phosphorylated equally in all regions of the brain exposed to simulated microgravity. These results suggest that exposure of brain to simulated microgravity can induce expression of certain transcription factors, and these have been earlier argued to be oxidative stress dependent.
authors: Molecular Neurotoxicology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas 77004, USA.
authors: Kimberly C
authors: KC
authors: Wise
authors: Sunil K
authors: SK
authors: Manna
authors: Keiko
authors: K
authors: Yamauchi
authors: Vani
authors: V
authors: Ramesh
authors: Bobby L
authors: BL
authors: Wilson
authors: Renard L
authors: RL
authors: Thomas
authors: Shubhashish
authors: S
authors: Sarkar
authors: Anil D
authors: AD
authors: Kulkarni
authors: Neil R
authors: NR
authors: Pellis
authors: Govindarajan T
authors: GT
authors: Ramesh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D006614:Hindlimb; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D016474:Weight-Bearing; D018474:Weightlessness Simulation
chemical_list: D016328:NF-kappa B; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D005978:Glutathione