Publication: Microgravity in the STS-29 space shuttle discovery
affected the vestibular system of chick embryos
Authors
Fermin, C.D. ; Martin, D. ; Jones, T. ; Vellinge, J. ; Deuser, M. ; Hester, P. ; Hullinger, R.
item.page.secondaryauthor
item.page.director
Publisher
Murcia : F. Hernández
publication.page.editor
publication.page.department
DOI
item.page.type
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Description
Abstract
Out of 32 embryos flown (16 @ E2 + 16 @
E9) for 5 days, 16 survived. Al1 sixteen E2 were dead at
landing. Eight were opened and eight were incubated at
1 .OG. Autopsy showed that 4 E2 survived over 24 hours
in space. Eight E14 hatched without anatomical
malformations, and 8 E14 were fixed. The height of the
macular epithelia was 31 ym (mean) in control and 26
pm in flight chicks. The cross-sectional area of macular
nuclei of control was 17 ym2 for hair cells and 14 ym2
in supporting cells. In flight, cross-sectional area was 17
pm2 in hair cells and 15 Iim2 in supporting cells
(n=250). The shape factor of cartilage cells (1.0 =
perfect circle) between control (mean = 0.70) and flight
(mean = 0.72), and the area of cartilaginous cells
between controls (mean = 9 pm2) and flight (mean = 9
Iirn2) did not differ (n=300). The nuclei of support cells
were closer to the basement membrane in flight than in
control chicks. The immunoreactivity of otoconia with
anti keratan, fibronectin or chrondroitin sulfate was not
different between flight and control ears. There were
more afferent fibers inside the macular epithelia of flight
(p<0.05) than control. Three of 8 flight animals had
elevated vestibular thresholds (VT), with normal mean
response amplitudes and latencies. Modified afferent
innervation pattems requiring weeks to compensate are
sufficient to elevate VT, and should be investigated
further. Other reversible (sublethal) microgravity effects
on sensory epithelia (vacuoles, swelling, etc) require
quantification.
publication.page.subject
Citation
item.page.embargo
Ir a Estadísticas
Sin licencia Creative Commons.