Biomedical subjects

Alain Maillet

Publications and source records attributed to Alain Maillet.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2002

Heart rate variability after prolonged spaceflights.

Astronauts returning from spaceflight often experience post-flight orthostatic intolerance. This study was designed to determine whether cosmonauts with post-flight syncope could be distinguished from those with no post-flight syncope. The autonomic function was determined in a group of ten subjects, with no previous history of syncope, during a stand test before and after a long-term spaceflight (90 to 198 days). Heart rate (HR) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were measured beat-by-beat, pre- and post-flight and the spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity and HR variability were studied. Individuals were categorized according to their ability to remain standing for 5 min the day after landing. Three of the ten cosmonauts failed to finish the standing test performed the day after landing (nonfinishers). The spontaneous baroreflex slope was reduced in both groups after the spaceflight. The non-finisher group had a lower SBP (P < 0.05) at rest in pre-flight tests than the group that completed the test (finisher group). The non-finisher group also had higher indicators of parasympathetic activity when supine, both pre- and post-flight, but this difference disappeared with standing. At the end of the stand test, SBP and HR were lower in non-finisher cosmonauts than the finishers, while HR did not increase compared to early measurements in the stand test of the finisher group. These results suggest an impairment in autonomic control of HR, which might contribute to the fainting response.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Changes in kinetics of cerebral auto-regulation with head-down bed rest.

Thoraco-cephalic fluid shift induced by weightlessness may influence cerebral autoregulation. Our objective was to assess effects of simulated weightlessness by a 7-day head-down bed rest (HDBR) on the kinetics of cerebral blood flow (CBF) autoregulation in eight healthy women (27.9 +/- 0.9 years). This was studied by transcranial Doppler (TCD) of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) during the sudden decrease in blood pressure (BP) induced by quickly deflating thigh cuff aftera 4-min arterial occlusion before (D - 3), during (D2, D5) and after the HDBR (D + 1). BP (Finapres) and MCA maximal blood flow velocity were continuously recorded. Cerebrovascular resistance (CR) was expressed as the ratio of mean BP to mean MCA velocity. The CR slope was defined as changes in CR per second during the BP decrease. The magnitude of the relative decrease in mean BP and MCA velocity as well as the CR slope did not differ significantly before, during and after the HDBR, showing no major impairment of cerebral autoregulation during short-term HDBR. The time to maximum decrease in CR (T1 in s), corresponding to the maximum vasodilation was reduced on D2 (7-2 +/- 0.6) versus D - 3 (9.9 +/- 1-3), D5 (9-6 +/- 0.8) and R + 1 (11.7 +/- 11) probably as a result of the fluid shift. We also looked if the responses during the thigh cuff release differed in women according to their tolerance to the 10 min stand test performed after the HDBR: T1 was larger in the five women who presented orthostatic intolerance suggesting that some differences in cerebral autoregulatory responses may be related to orthostatic intolerance.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Long-term sodium balance in humans in a terrestrial space station simulation study.

BACKGROUND: Sodium accumulation has been considered to take place in the extracellular space, leading to water retention and weight gain. This traditional view has been questioned by recent studies that showed sodium accumulation in humans without expansion of the extracellular volume. We investigated sodium balance and its impact on body weight (BW) during a long-term balance study. METHODS: Three healthy subjects were confined to a terrestrial MIR simulator for 135 days under conditions simulating a long-term spaceflight. During the entire isolation period, we meticulously measured daily sodium balance and its contribution to BW. RESULTS: During the study period, subjects accumulated between 2,973 and 7,324 mmol of sodium and gained between 5.1 and 9.3 kg in weight. In all subjects, there was a positive correlation between changes in total-body sodium (DeltaTBS) content and BW, reflecting sodium-associated volume expansion. However, toward the end of isolation, sodium gain exceeded weight gain, suggesting that sodium accumulated in an osmotically inactive form. Especially at the onset of the experiment, two subjects showed inverse correlations between DeltaTBS and BW. CONCLUSION: The finding of sodium gain without weight gain is in contradiction to the widely accepted theory that changes in TBS levels are accompanied by changes in extracellular volume. We suggest the existence of a sodium reservoir with the ability to store significant amounts of sodium in an osmotically inactive form. This reservoir might be located in bone, dense connective tissue, or cartilage.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

[Microgravity and weightlessness: experimental model accelerates nutritional pathology].

Short space flights affect nutritional intakes, body composition and functional parameters. Prolonged space flights (SF) over weeks or months further worsen these alterations and result in acute or chronic physical deterioration at earth return. Current planning of SF to Mars, with microgravity conditions for more than 2 years, stresses the need for developing and optimising a nutritional program and physical countermeasures to prevent body mass atrophy and functional body alterations. This review presents the models of microgravity simulation on earth and the main effects of weightlessness on body composition, protein metabolism, hormonal profile and muscle function. It summarizes contradictory findings related to the oxidative stress related to SF. It discusses potential countermeasures (nutrition, physical activity) to the negative effects of microgravity on human body. Future research possibilities in ground and space medicine are evoked.

Aerospace Medicine↗