title: Simulated microgravity induces an inflammatory response in the common carotid artery of rats.
abstract: Post-spaceflight orthostatic intolerance is one of the most important adverse effects after exposure to space microgravity, and there are still no effective countermeasures. It has been considered that arterial remodeling may play an important role in the occurrence of post-spaceflight orthostatic intolerance, but the cellular mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we investigated whether an inflammatory response exists in the common carotid artery of rats exposed to simulated microgravity. For this, Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to 4 weeks of hindlimb unweighting to simulate microgravity. The expression levels of the adhesion molecules E-selectin and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and the cytokine monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in the common carotid artery of simulated microgravity rats were evaluated by immunohistochemical staining, quantitative RT-PCR, and Western blot analyses. The recruitment of monocytes in the common carotid artery of rats exposed to simulated microgravity was investigated by en face immunofluorescence staining and monocyte binding assays. Our results provided convincing evidence that there is an inflammatory response in the common carotid artery of rats exposed to simulated microgravity. Our work suggests that the inflammatory response may be a novel cellular mechanism that is responsible for the arterial remodeling that occurs during exposure to microgravity.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Aerospace Physiology, Key Laboratory of Aerospace Medicine of Ministry of Education, Fourth Military Medical University, 169 Changle West Road, Xi'an 710032, Shaanxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Huan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhong-Chao
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.forename: Jin-Wen
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Yun-Gang
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Hai-Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jun-Xiang
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: Xin-Ling
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Man-Jiang
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019040:E-Selectin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism; D019417:Hindlimb Suspension / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D066253:Vascular Remodeling
chemical_list: D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D019040:E-Selectin; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1
keywords: allègement des membres postérieurs; arterial remodeling; artère carotide commune; common carotid artery; hindlimb unweighted; inflammatory response; microgravité simulée; remodelage artériel; réponse inflammatoire; simulated microgravity