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Tomsia M, Cieśla J, Śmieszek J, Florek S, Macionga A, Michalczyk K, Stygar D. Long-term space missions' effects on the human organism: what we do know and what requires further research. Front Physiol 2024; 15:1284644. [PMID: 38415007 PMCID: PMC10896920 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1284644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Space has always fascinated people. Many years have passed since the first spaceflight, and in addition to the enormous technological progress, the level of understanding of human physiology in space is also increasing. The presented paper aims to summarize the recent research findings on the influence of the space environment (microgravity, pressure differences, cosmic radiation, etc.) on the human body systems during short-term and long-term space missions. The review also presents the biggest challenges and problems that must be solved in order to extend safely the time of human stay in space. In the era of increasing engineering capabilities, plans to colonize other planets, and the growing interest in commercial space flights, the most topical issues of modern medicine seems to be understanding the effects of long-term stay in space, and finding solutions to minimize the harmful effects of the space environment on the human body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcin Tomsia
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Forensic Toxicology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
| | - Julia Cieśla
- School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
| | - Joanna Śmieszek
- School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
| | - Szymon Florek
- School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
| | - Agata Macionga
- School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Michalczyk
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
| | - Dominika Stygar
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
- SLU University Animal Hospital, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
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Gimunová M, Paludo AC, Bernaciková M, Bienertova-Vasku J. The effect of space travel on human reproductive health: a systematic review. NPJ Microgravity 2024; 10:10. [PMID: 38238348 PMCID: PMC10796912 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-024-00351-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
With increasing possibilities of multi-year missions in deep space, colonizing other planets, and space tourism, it is important to investigate the effects of space travel on human reproduction. This study aimed to systematically review and summarize the results of available literature on space travel, microgravity, and space radiation, or Earth-based spaceflight analogues impact on female and male reproductive functions in humans. This systematic review was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and Space Biomedicine Systematic Review methods. The search was performed using three databases: PubMed, Web of Science, and Medline Complete. During the database search, 364 studies were identified. After the study selection process, 16 studies were included in the review. Five studies included female participants, and the findings show an increased risk of thromboembolism in combined oral contraceptive users, decreased decidualization, functional insufficiency of corpus luteum, and decreased progesterone and LH levels related to space travel or its simulation. Male participants were included in 13 studies. In males, reproductive health considerations focused on the decrease in testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin levels, the ratio of male offspring, sperm motility, sperm vitality, and the increase in sperm DNA fragmentation related to space travel or its simulation. Results of this systematic review highlight the need to focus more on the astronaut's reproductive health in future research, as only 16 studies were found during the literature search, and many more research questions related to reproductive health in astronauts still need to be answered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Gimunová
- Department of Physical Activities and Health Sciences, Faculty of Sports Studies, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Ana Carolina Paludo
- Department of Sport Performance and Exercise Testing, Faculty of Sports Studies, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Bernaciková
- Department of Physical Activities and Health Sciences, Faculty of Sports Studies, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Julie Bienertova-Vasku
- Department of Physical Activities and Health Sciences, Faculty of Sports Studies, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
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Britten RA, Fesshaye A, Tidmore A, Liu A, Blackwell AA. Loss of Cognitive Flexibility Practice Effects in Female Rats Exposed to Simulated Space Radiation. Radiat Res 2023; 200:256-265. [PMID: 37527363 DOI: 10.1667/rade-22-00196.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
During the planned missions to Mars, astronauts will be faced with many potential health hazards including prolonged exposure to space radiation. Ground-based studies have shown that exposure to space radiation impairs the performance of male rats in cognitive flexibility tasks which involve processes that are essential to rapidly and efficiently adapting to different situations. However, there is presently a paucity of information on the effects of space radiation on cognitive flexibility in female rodents. This study has determined the impact that exposure to a low (10 cGy) dose of ions from the simplified 5-ion galactic cosmic ray simulation [https://www.bnl.gov/nsrl/userguide/SimGCRSim.php (07/2023)] (GCRSim) beam or 250 MeV/n 4He ions has on the ability of female Wistar rats to perform in constrained [attentional set shifting (ATSET)] and unconstrained cognitive flexibility (UCFlex) tasks. Female rats exposed to GCRSim exhibited multiple decrements in ATSET performance. Firstly, GCRSim exposure impaired performance in the compound discrimination (CD) stage of the ATSET task. While the ability of rats to identify the rewarded cue was not compromised, the time the rats required to do so significantly increased. Secondly, both 4He and GCRSim exposure reduced the ability of rats to reach criterion in the compound discrimination reversal (CDR) stage. Approximately 20% of the irradiated rats were unable to complete the CDR task; furthermore, the irradiated rats that did reach criterion took more attempts to do so than did the sham-treated animals. Radiation exposure also altered the magnitude and/or nature of practice effects. A comparison of performance metrics from the pre-screen and post-exposure ATSET task revealed that while the sham-treated rats completed the post-exposure CD stage of the ATSET task in 30% less time than for completion of the pre-screen ATSET task, the irradiated rats took 30-50% longer to do so. Similarly, while sham-treated rats completed the CDR stage in ∼10% fewer attempts in the post-exposure task compared to the pre-screen task, in contrast, the 4He- and GCRSim-exposed cohorts took more (∼2-fold) attempts to reach criterion in the post-exposure task than in the pre-screen task. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that female rats are susceptible to radiation-induced loss of performance in the constrained ATSET cognitive flexibility task. Moreover, exposure to radiation leads to multiple performance decrements, including loss of practice effects, an increase in anterograde interference and reduced ability or unwillingness to switch attention. Should similar effects occur in humans, astronauts may have a compromised ability to perform complex tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard A Britten
- EVMS Radiation Oncology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia 23507
- EVMS Microbiology and Molecular Cell Biology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia 23507
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Inflammatory diseases, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia 23507
| | - Arriyam Fesshaye
- EVMS Radiation Oncology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia 23507
| | - Alyssa Tidmore
- EVMS Radiation Oncology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia 23507
| | - Aiyi Liu
- EVMS Radiation Oncology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia 23507
| | - Ashley A Blackwell
- EVMS Radiation Oncology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia 23507
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Inflammatory diseases, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia 23507
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Jain V, Chuva de Sousa Lopes SM, Benotmane MA, Verratti V, Mitchell RT, Stukenborg JB. Human development and reproduction in space-a European perspective. NPJ Microgravity 2023; 9:24. [PMID: 36973260 PMCID: PMC10042989 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-023-00272-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
This review summarises key aspects of the first reproductive and developmental systems Science Community White Paper, supported by the European Space Agency (ESA). Current knowledge regarding human development and reproduction in space is mapped to the roadmap. It acknowledges that sex and gender have implications on all physiological systems, however, gender identity falls outside the scope of the document included in the white paper collection supported by ESA. The ESA SciSpacE white papers on human developmental and reproductive functions in space aim to reflect on the implications of space travel on the male and female reproductive systems, including the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) reproductive hormone axis, and considerations for conception, gestation and birth. Finally, parallels are drawn as to how this may impact society as a whole on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varsha Jain
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | | | - Vittore Verratti
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University, Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Rod T Mitchell
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jan-Bernd Stukenborg
- NORDFERTIL Research Lab Stockholm, Childhood Cancer Research Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, and Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Sweden.
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