Loss of physical contact in space alters the dopamine system in C. elegans

iScience

Nathaniel J. Szewczyk¹  Kasumi Muto²  Nahoko Higashitani³  Siva A. Vanapalli³  Rebecca A. Ellwood⁴  Atsushi Higashitani⁵  Timothy Etheridge⁶  Toko Hashizume⁷  Surabhi Sudevan⁷  Akira Higashibata⁷  Colleen S. Deane⁸  Mizanur Rahman⁹ 

[1] Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, StockerRoad, Exeter, UK;Medical Research Council (MRC) Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research, Royal Derby Hospital, University of Nottingham, Derby, UK;Musculoskeletal Conditions, National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Derby, UK;Advanced Engineering Services Co. Ltd, Tsukuba Mitsui Building7F,1-6-1 Takezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0032, Japan;Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA;Department of Sport and Health Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, St. Luke's Campus, Exeter, UK;Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8577, Japan;Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505, Japan;Medical Research Council (MRC) Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research, Royal Derby Hospital, University of Nottingham, Derby, UK;

关键词: Space medicine;    Aerospace Engineering;   

DOI  :  

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Summary: Progressive neuromuscular decline in microgravity is a prominent health concern preventing interplanetary human habitation. We establish functional dopamine-mediated impairments as a consistent feature across multiple spaceflight exposures and during simulated microgravity in C. elegans. Animals grown continuously in these conditions display reduced movement and body length. Loss of mechanical contact stimuli in microgravity elicits decreased endogenous dopamine and comt-4 (catechol-O-methyl transferase) expression levels. The application of exogenous dopamine reverses the movement and body length defects caused by simulated microgravity. In addition, increased physical contact made comt-4 and dopamine levels rise. It also increased muscular cytoplasmic Ca2+ firing. In dop-3 (D2-like receptor) mutants, neither decrease in movement nor in body length were observed during simulated microgravity growth. These results strongly suggest that targeting the dopamine system through manipulation of the external environment (contact stimuli) prevents muscular changes and is a realistic and viable treatment strategy to promote safe human deep-space travel.

【 授权许可】

Unknown