Genetic and Apoptotic Changes in Lungs of Mice Flown on the STS-135 Mission in Space

作者：Gridley Daila S^*; Mao Xiao Wen; Tian Jian; Cao Jeffrey D; Perez Celso; Stodieck Louis S; Ferguson Virginia L; Bateman Ted A; Pecaut Michael J

来源：In Vivo, 2015, 29(4): 423-433.

• Spaceflight
• respiratory tract
• gene expression
• extracellular matrix
• cell adhesion

Aim: The goal of the study was to evaluate changes in lung status due to spaceflight stressors that include radiation above levels found on Earth. Materials and Methods: Within hours after return from a 13-day mission in space onboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis, C57BL/6 mice (FLT group) were euthanized; mice housed on the ground in similar animal enclosure modules served as controls (AEM group). Lung tissue was collected to evaluate the expression of genes related to extracellular matrix (ECM)/adhesion and stem cell signaling. Pathway analysis was also performed. In addition, immunohistochemistry for stem cell antigen-1 (SCA-1), the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay for apoptosis, and staining for histological characteristics were performed. Results: There were 18/168 genes significantly modulated in lungs from the FLT group (p<0.05 vs. AEM); 17 of these were up-regulated and one was down-regulated. The greatest effect, namely a 5.14-fold increase, was observed on Spock1 (also known as Spark/osteonectin), encoding a multi-functional protein that has anti-adhesive effects, inhibits cell proliferation and regulates activity of certain growth factors. Additional genes with increased expression were cadherin 3 (Cdh3), collagen, type V, alpha 1 (Col5a1), integrin alpha 5 (Itga5), laminin, gamma 1 (Lamc1), matrix metallopeptidase

• 出版日期2015-8