Effect of Simulated Microgravity and its Associated Mechanism on Pulmonary Circulation in Rats

• Published in: Biomedical and environmental sciences Vol. 26; no. 2; pp. 118 - 127
• Main Authors: LI, Tian Zhi, YUAN, Ming, CHEN, Zhen Hong, GUO, Ying Hua, KANG, Chun Yan, WANG, Jing Yu, LI, Zhi Li, WANG, De Sheng, WANG, Hui Juan, YUAN, Min, LIU, Chang Ting
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.02.2013; Nanlou Respiratory Diseases Department, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China%State Key Laboratory of Space Medicine Fundamentals and Application, China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Beijing 100094, China
• Subjects: Animals; Changes in pulmonary circulation; Hemodynamics; Male; Pulmonary Artery - physiology; Pulmonary Circulation - physiology; Rat; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Regulations of pulmonary circulation; Simulated microgravity; Weightlessness; 机制; 模拟微重力; 碱性成纤维细胞生长因子; 细胞因子; 肺动脉高压; 肺循环; 肺血管; 肾上腺髓质素; Changes in pulmonary circulation; Simulated microgravity; Rat; Regulations of pulmonary circulation
• ISSN: 0895-3988; 2214-0190
• DOI: 10.3967/0895-3988.2013.02.006

Objective To study the effect of Simulated Microgravity and its Associated Mechanism on Pulmonary Circulation in Rats. Methods Rat tail-suspension model was used to simulate the physiological effects of microgravity and changes in pulmonary blood vessel morphology, pulmonary arterial and venous blood pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance, pulmonary vasomotoricity, as well as the regulation of pulmonary circulation by cytokines produced and released by the lung of rats were measured. Results The walls of pulmonary blood vessels of rats were thickened, and the pulmonary artery was reconstructed with increased pulmonary vascular resistance. The pulmonary blood vessels of rats became more prone to dilation as contractions increased. Rat epithelial Adrenomedulin gene transcription and protein expression were upregulated. The level of basic fibroblast growth Factor of rat was also elevated. Conclusion Findings from the present study on rats revealed that the microgravity can affect pulmonary blood vessel structure, pulmonary arterial pressure, and pulmonary blood vessel self-regulation and cytokine production.