title: Impact of simulated microgravity on cell cycle control and cytokine release by U937 cells.
abstract: Previous experiments from flight- and ground-based model systems indicate unexpected alterations of human leukocytes, leading to growth retardation and depression of mitogenic activation. The response of myelomonocytic U937 cells to simulated microgravity was therefore investigated. To this purpose, U937 cells were cultured in the NASA-developed bioreactor Rotating Wall Vessel (RWV) as a device to simulate microgravity on earth. No apoptosis was detected, in part because of the up-regulation of hsp70. In agreement with results obtained in space-flown U937 cells, the cells grew more slowly in the RWV than under normal conditions and this correlated with the down-modulation of cdc25B. Marked alterations of the cytokine secretion profile and, in particular, of inflammatory chemokines, as well as a decrease of the proteasome activity, were also observed in response to microgravity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preclinical Sciences LITA-Vialba, University of Milan Medical School, Via GB Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy. jeannette.maier@unimi.it
authors.forename: J A M
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Maier
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D005987:Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases / Q000378:metabolism; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000494:pharmacology; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex; D020298:U937 Cells; D018474:Weightlessness Simulation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D020687:cdc25 Phosphatases / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D016207:Cytokines; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D005987:Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases; C517008:CDC25B protein, human; D020687:cdc25 Phosphatases; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex