Preparation for mice spaceflight: Indications for training C57BL/6J mice to adapt to microgravity effect with three-dimensional clinostat on the ground
Chenchen Song,
Taisheng Kang,
Kai Gao,
Xudong Shi,
Meng Zhang,
Lianlian Zhao,
Li Zhou,
Jianguo Guo
Affiliations
Chenchen Song
Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
Taisheng Kang
Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
Kai Gao
Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
Xudong Shi
Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
Meng Zhang
Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
Lianlian Zhao
Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
Li Zhou
Corresponding author.; Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
Jianguo Guo
Corresponding author.; Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Health, Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
Like astronauts, animals need to undergo training and screening before entering space. At present, pre-launch training for mice mainly focuses on adaptation to habitat system. Training for the weightless environment of space in mice has not received much attention. Three-dimensional (3D) clinostat is a method to simulate the effects of microgravity on Earth. However, few studies have used a 3D clinostat apparatus to simulate the effects of microgravity on animal models. Therefore, we conducted a study to evaluate the feasibility and effects of long-term treatment with three-dimensional clinostat in C57BL/6 J mice. Thirty 8-week-old male C57BL/6 J mice were randomly assigned to three groups: mice in individually ventilated cages (MC group, n = 6), mice in survival boxes (SB group, n = 12), and mice in survival boxes receiving 3D clinostat treatment (CS group, n = 12). The mice showed good tolerance after 12 weeks of alternate day training. To evaluate the biological effects of simulated microgravity, the changes in serum metabolites were monitored using untargeted metabolomics, whereas bone loss was assessed using microcomputed tomography of the left femur. Compared with the metabolome of the SB group, the metabolome of the CS group showed significant differences during the first three weeks and the last three weeks. The KEGG pathways in the late stages were mainly related to the nervous system, indicating the influence of long-term microgravity on the central nervous system. Besides, a marked reduction in the trabecular number (P < 0.05) and an increasing trend of trabecular spacing (P < 0.1) were observed to occur in a time-dependent manner in the CS group compared with the SB group. These results showed that mice tolerated well in a 3D clinostat and may provide a new strategy in pre-launch training for mice and conducting relevant ground-based modeling experiments.