PubMed HealthSearch

Biomedical subjects

I A Popova

Publications and source records attributed to I A Popova.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Analyses of plasma for metabolic and hormonal changes in rats flown aboard COSMOS 2044.

Plasma samples from rats flown aboard COS-MOS 2044 were analyzed for the levels of key metabolites, electrolytes, enzymes, and hormones. The major differences between the flight group and the synchronous control were elevations in glucose, cholesterol, phosphate, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, lactate dehydrogenase, and aspartate amino-transferase and decreased levels of thyroxine. Most of these differences were not mimicked by tail suspension of ground-based rats; however, both flight and suspended rats exhibited inhibited testosterone secretion. Corticosterone, immunoreactive growth hormone, and prolactin showed inconsistent differences from the various control groups, suggesting that the levels of these hormones were not due to actual or simulated microgravity.

Adrenal Glands

Differences in glycogen, lipids, and enzymes in livers from rats flown on COSMOS 2044.

Livers from rats flown aboard COSMOS 2044 were analyzed for protein, carbohydrate (glycogen), and lipids as well as the activities of a number of key enzymes involved in metabolism of these compounds and xenobiotics. The major differences between the flight group and the synchronous control were elevations in microsomal protein, liver glycogen content, tyrosine aminotransferase, and tryptophan oxygenase and reductions in sphingolipids and the rate-limiting enzyme of heme biosynthesis, delta-aminolevulinic acid synthase. These results provide further evidence that spaceflight has pronounced and diverse effects on liver function; however, some of the results with samples from COSMOS 2044 differed notably from those from previous spaceflights. This may be due to conditions of spaceflight and/or the postflight recovery period for COSMOS 2044.

Amino Acids

Circulating parathyroid hormone and calcitonin in rats after spaceflight.

Parathyroid hormone and calcitonin, two major calcium-regulating hormones, were measured in the plasma of five experimental groups of rats to evaluate postflight calcium homeostasis after the 14-day COSMOS 2044 flight. Parathyroid hormone values were slightly higher in the flight animals (F) than in the appropriate cage and diet controls (S) (44 +/- 21 vs. 21 +/- 4 pg/ml, P less than 0.05), but they were the same as in the vivarium controls (V), which had different housing and feeding schedules. Neither V nor S showed the increase in plasma creatinine phosphorus and magnesium found in F, features of early renal insufficiency. F showed the lowest mean plasma calcitonin that was statistically different from V only. This difference in F and V (22 +/- 11 vs. 49 +/- 16 pg/ml, P less than 0.05) was most likely due to failure of circulating calcitonin in F to show the normal age-dependent increase we demonstrated in age-matched controls in a separate experiment. Basal values for parathyroid hormone and calcitonin were unchanged after 2 wk of hindlimb suspension, a flight simulation model, in age-matched and younger rats. From a time course experiment serum calcium was higher and parathyroid hormone lower after 4 wk than in ambulatory controls. Postflight circulating levels of parathyroid hormone appear to reflect disturbances in calcium homeostasis from impaired renal function of undetermined cause, whereas levels of calcitonin reflect depression of a normal growth process.

Adrenal Glands

Cyclic AMP-receptor proteins in heart muscle of rats flown on Cosmos 1887.

A frequent cellular response to organismal stress is the increase in ligand binding by beta-adrenergic receptors. The extracellular signal is amplified by intracellular increases in cyclic AMP and the ensuing activation of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (cAPK). The molecular mechanisms involve the binding of cyclic AMP to regulatory (R) subunits of cAPK, thus freeing the catalytic subunit for protein phosphorylation. This study was carried out to determine the cellular compartmentalization of the cyclic AMP-receptor proteins in heart ventricular tissue obtained from rats flown on the Cosmos 1887 mission. Photoaffinity labeling of soluble and particulate cell fractions with an [32P]-8-azido analog of cyclic AMP was followed by electrophoretic separation of the proteins and by autoradiographic identification of the labeled isoforms of cAPK R subunits. The results showed that RII in the particulate subcellular fraction was significantly decreased in heart cells from rats in the flight group when compared to controls. Protein banding patterns in both the cytoplasmic fraction and in a fraction enriched in chromatin-bound proteins showed some variability in tissues of individual animals, but exhibited no changes that could be directly attributed to flight conditions. No significant change was apparent in the distribution of RI or RII cyclic AMP binding in the soluble fractions. These findings indicate that the cardiac cell integrity or its protein content is not compromised under flight conditions. There is, however, what appears to be an adaptive molecular response which can be detected using microanalytical methods, indicating that a major hormone regulated mechanism may be affected during some phase of travel in space.

Animals

Cosmos 1887 mission overview: effects of microgravity on rat body and adrenal weights and plasma constituents.

The Cosmos 1887 biosatellite carried 10 male rats and 2 rhesus monkeys on its 12.5-day mission. Upon re-entry the Vostok vehicle overshot the designated landing site, which resulted in fasting of the animals for 42 h, exposure to cage temperatures of 12-15 degrees C, and 2 days delay in death of the rats. No overt untoward effects of the delayed recovery were apparent. Tissues from the rats were harvested by Soviet scientists, appropriately preserved, and provided to U.S. investigators. Flight rats grew more slowly and had larger adrenal glands than earth gravity controls. Analysis of plasma revealed increased concentrations of hepatic alkaline phosphatase, glucose, urea nitrogen, and creatinine in flight rats. In contrast, electrolytes, total protein, albumin, corticosterone, prolactin, and immunoreactive growth hormone levels were unchanged. However, testosterone concentration was marginally decreased after flight and thyroid hormone levels were suggestive of reduced thyroid function. Due to the possible effects of reentry and the delay in recovery of the animals, it is not clear what relationship postflight levels of plasma constituents bear to their concentrations in flight.

Adrenal Glands

Morphological and biochemical examination of Cosmos 1887 rat heart tissue: Part I--Ultrastructure.

Morphological changes were observed in the left ventricle of rat heart tissue from animals flown on the Cosmos 1887 biosatellite for 12.5 days. These tissues were compared to the synchronous and vivarium control hearts. While many normal myofibrils were observed, others exhibited ultrastructural alterations, i.e., damaged and irregular-shaped mitochondria and generalized myofibrillar edema. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) of the volume density data revealed a statistically significant increase in glycogen and a significant decrease in mitochondria compared to the synchronous and vivarium controls. Point counting indicated an increase in lipid and myeloid bodies and a decrease in microtubules, but these changes were not statistically significant. In addition, the flight animals exhibited some patchy loss of protofibrils (actin and myosin filaments) and some abnormal supercontracted myofibrils that were not seen in the controls. This study was undertaken to gain insight into the mechanistic aspects of cardiac changes in both animals and human beings as a consequence of space travel (1). Cardiac hypotrophy and fluid shifts have been observed after actual or simulated weightlessness and raise concerns about the functioning of the heart and circulatory system during and after travel in space (2-4).

Actins

Altered carbohydrate, lipid, and xenobiotic metabolism by liver from rats flown on Cosmos 1887.

To determine the possible biochemical effects of prolonged weightlessness on liver function, samples of liver from rats that had flown aboard Cosmos 1887 were analyzed for protein, glycogen, and lipids as well as the activities of a number of key enzymes involved in metabolism of these compounds and xenobiotics. Among the parameters measured, the major differences were elevations in the glycogen content and hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase activities for the rats flown on Cosmos 1887 and decreases in the amount of microsomal cytochrome P-450 and the activities of aniline hydroxylase and ethylmorphine N-demethylase, cytochrome P-450-dependent enzymes. These results support the earlier finding of differences in these parameters and suggest that altered hepatic function could be important during spaceflight and/or the postflight recovery period.

Aniline Hydroxylase

[Characteristics of secondary immunologic deficiency in children with chronic hepatitis B and the methods of its correction].

A study was made of the immune system of patients with chronic HB-viral infection who showed the signs of secondary immundeficiency. The high frequency of the impairment of immunocompetent cells seen in chronic hepatitis B was established as was the appearance of different-temperature autolymphocytotoxins in response to the infection of mono-nuclears in all the disease stages. The treatment with thymalin proved effective in patients with the lack of cold autolymphocytotoxins or in those with low activity of the latter ones. The combined treatment (decaris plus prednisolone) turned out effective in children with a pronounced autoimmune component of the process (the presence of cold autolymphocytotoxins). It has been shown that the discovered interrelations between the different components of the immune system are conductive to the determination of the pathological process type and the choice of adequate therapy.

Adjuvants, Immunologic

Metabolic and hormonal status of crewmembers in short-term spaceflights.

In order to clarify biochemical adaptation of the human body to short-term microgravity, metabolic and hormonal parameters were investigated in 20 cosmonauts who performed orbital flights of 4 to 14 d in duration. The specific feature of adaptation to this exposure is the transition to a new level of hormonal regulation with a significant increase of the content (production) of glucocorticoids, catecholamines, components of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, which determines a modified activity of tissue hormones, and fluid-electrolyte homeostasis, as well as simultaneous increase of insulin secretion that diminishes the metabolic effects of glucocorticoids and catecholamines.

Adaptation, Physiological

Some cases of Type III glycogen storage disease.

Five patients with glycogen storage disease are described. Hypoglycemia was observed in all patients after an overnight fast, and glycemic and lactatemic curves obtained after oral administration of glucose or galactose were typical of those seen in Type III glycogenosis. An increase of liver glycogen up to 12-16% and complete absence of liver amylo-1,6-glucosidase were found in liver tissue samples obtained by needle biopsy. The patients were diagnosed as having Type III glycogenosis. In two patients the absence of amylo-1,6-glycosidase was accompanied by a sharp decline of liver phosphorylase activity. In one patient a decline of glucose-6-phosphatase activity was observed. The structure of liver glycogen was different in different patients, and so were the types of glycemic and lactatemic curves obtained upon protein tolerance tests. The above phenomena might be explained by some secondary disturbances in the activity of enzymes (phosphorylase, glucose-6-phosphatase) involved in the metabolism of liver glycogen of these patients.

Blood Glucose

[Serologic pattern of meningococci in a focus of infection].

The authors present the results of typing of meningococci (isolated from the patients and carriers) by the sera of serological groups A, B, C, D, X, Y, and Z made at the Leningrad Institute of Vaccine and Sera. The causative agents of serological group A were most frequently isolated from the patients with the generalized forms of meningococcus infection. The percentage of detection of meningococci of serological group A was the greatest in the patients and much less in the carriers in and outside the foci of this infection. Many dissociated cultures were revealed among the strains isolated from the carriers. Sera of the Leningrad Institute of Vaccine and Sera have permitted typing of meningococci cultures belonging to various serological groups in accordance with the international classification.

Humans

[Differential traits and antigenic properties of the S- and R-forms of Neisseria meningitidis].

The authors demonstrated a marked dissociation of the Neisseria meningitis cultures and the capacity to their rapid change from S- to R-forms. Differential signs of the S- and R-forms are described. Differences in the degree of dissociation of the cultures depending on their origin were shown: strains isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid and the blood of patients with meningitis proved to be less dissociated, and those isolated from carriers--more dissociated. Transfers from media to media and adaptation of cultures to artificial nutrient media produced the greatest influence on dissociation of the freshly isolated strains.

Agglutination Tests