title: Pancreas of C57 black mice after long-term space flight (Bion-M1 Space Mission).
abstract: In this study, we analysed the pancreases of C57BL/6N mice in order to estimate the effects of long-term space flights. Mice were flown aboard the Bion-M1 biosatellite, or remained on ground in the control experiment that replicated environmental and housing conditions in the spacecraft. Vivarium control group was used to account for housing effects. Each of the groups included mice designated for recovery studies. Mice pancreases were dissected for histological and immunohistochemical examinations. Using a morphometry and statistical analysis, a strong correlation between the mean islet size and the mean body weight was revealed in all groups. Therefore, we propose that hypokinesia and an increase in nutrition play an important role in alterations of the endocrine pancreas, both in space flight and terrestrial conditions.
authors.affiliation: FSBSI Science Research Institute of Human Morphology, Moscow, Russia. Electronic address: proschina@mtu-net.ru.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Proshchina
authors.affiliation: FSBSI Science Research Institute of Human Morphology, Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Krivova
authors.affiliation: FSBSI Science Research Institute of Human Morphology, Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Saveliev
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D007515:Islets of Langerhans; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010179:Pancreas; D016035:Pancreas Transplantation; D012426:Russia; D013026:Space Flight; D018531:Spacecraft; D013997:Time Factors; D014893:Weightlessness
keywords: Biosatellite BION-M1; Diabetes; Mice; Pancreas; Pancreatic islets; Space flight