EXPERIMENT INFORMATION
Quantitative Analysis of Selected Bone Parameters (COS 782-11)
Research Area:
Bone and calcium physiology
Species Studied
Scientific Name: Rattus norvegicus Species: Rat Strain: Wistar
Objectives:If bones are formed in relation to gravitational stresses, one would anticipate that prolonged recumbency and/or prolonged weightlessness would be associated with hypercalciuria, bone demineralization, and osteoporosis. To better understand the effect of space flight on bone, parameters including formation and mineralization, resorption, length, density and pore size distribution, and bone mechanical properties were studied in rats both immediately postflight and at 25 days post- flight.
++ -- View more
Approach:
Bone density and pore size distribution were measured by mercury porosimetry in the left humerus, while humerus mechanical properties were evaluated with a standard torsion test machine. Bone formation, mineralization, and resorption rates were determined by quantitative histological techniques using the left tibia, while osteoblastic and osteoclastic cell populations were determined from the right. Length measurements were made with calipers, and correlation, regression, and covariance analyses were made by means of computer programs based on standard statistical methods.
Results:
Space flight had little effect on the bone porosity parameters measured, while the flight and synchronous animals (compared to vivarium controls) did show a significant decrease in bone density immediately postflight. The most striking effects were those on bone formation; all parameters investigated in the flight animals immediately after flight were significantly decreased from both vivarium and synchronous controls. An arrest line was found at both the endosteum and the periosteum of flight animals suggesting that a complete cessation of bone growth occurred during the flight. By 25 days postflight, flight animals showed a significant increase in formation, suggesting that a rebound in bone formation had occurred following flight.
Holton, E.M.: Effects of Weightlessness on Bone and Muscle of Rats. Space Gerontology, NASA CP-2248, 1982, pp. 59-66.
Morey, E.R. and D.J. Baylink: Inhibition of Bone Formation During Spaceflight. Science, vol. 201, 1978,
pp. 1138-1141.
Morey-Holton, E. and D.J. Baylink: Quantitative Analysis of Selected Bone Parameters: Final Reports of U.S. Experiments Flown on the Soviet Satellite Cosmos 782. S.N. Rosenzweig and K.A. Souza, eds., NASA TM-78525, 1978, pp. 321-351.
Biomechanics
Bone density
Bone development
Bone resorption
Calcification, physiologic
++ -- View more
Data Availability
Archive is complete. No data sets are available for this experiment. Please
Contact LSDA if you know of available data for this investigation.
Area, Bone, tibia, rat, Microscopy
Area, cross section, Tibia, rat
Density, Femur, bone, rat, Mercury porosimetry (relative)
Formation, Bone, in femur, rat, Merz grid, microscopy, chemistry
Size, length, Bone, femur, rat, Caliper
++ -- View more
Size, length, Bone, femur, rat, Calipers
Size, length, Bone, tibia, rat, Caliper
Size, length, Bone, tibia, rat, Calipers
Weight, Whole body, Balance (CGS units)
Mission/Study Information
Mission
|
Launch/Start Date
|
Landing/End Date
|
Duration
|
Cosmos 782
|
11/25/1975
|
12/15/1975
|
20 days
|
Managing NASA Center
Ames Research Center (ARC)
Responsible NASA Representative
Ames Research Center LSDA Level 3
Project Manager: Helen Stewart
Institutional Support
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Alternate Experiment Name