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Comparison of Cell Body Size and Oxidative Enzyme Activity in Motoneurons between the Cervical and Lumbar Segments in the Rat Spinal Cord after Spaceflight and Recovery

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Abstract

The cell body sizes and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activities of motoneurons in the dorsolateral region of the ventral horn at the cervical and lumbar segments in the rat spinal cord were determined following 9 days of spaceflight with or without 10 days of recovery on Earth. The motoneurons were divided into three types based on their cell body sizes; small-, medium-, and large-sized motoneurons. In control rats, there was no difference in the cell body size or SDH activity of small- and large-sized motoneurons between the cervical and lumbar segments. The SDH activity of medium-sized motoneurons in control rats was higher in the lumbar segment than in the cervical segment, while the cell body sizes of medium-sized motoneurons were identical. The SDH activity of medium-sized motoneurons in the lumbar segment decreased to a level similar to that in the cervical segment of control rats following spaceflight. In addition, the decreased SDH activity of medium-sized motoneurons persisted for at least 10 days of recovery on Earth. It is concluded that spaceflight selectively affects the SDH activity of medium-sized motoneurons in the lumbar segment of the spinal cord, which presumably innervate skeletal muscles having an antigravity function.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by grants from the Japan Space Forum and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The authors thank NASA Ames Research Center for the Biospecimen Sharing Program. We also thank Dr. P. X. Callahan (NASA Ames Research Center) and Dr. S. Takahashi (NASA Kennedy Space Center Liaison Office and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) for their cooperation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Neurochemistry, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, 606-8501, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan

    A. Ishihara, J. Yamashiro & A. Matsumoto

  2. Department of Life Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, 305-8505, Tsukuba, Japan

    A. Higashibata & N. Ishioka

  3. Department of Life Sciences and Space Utilization Promotion, Japan Space Forum, 100-0004, Tokyo, Japan

    T. Shimazu

  4. Section of Applied Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 560-0043, Toyonaka, Japan

    Y. Ohira

  5. Laboratory of Neurochemistry, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, 606-8501, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan

    A. Ishihara

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  1. A. Ishihara
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  2. J. Yamashiro
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  3. A. Matsumoto
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  4. A. Higashibata
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  5. N. Ishioka
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  6. T. Shimazu
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  7. Y. Ohira
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Correspondence to A. Ishihara.

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Ishihara, A., Yamashiro, J., Matsumoto, A. et al. Comparison of Cell Body Size and Oxidative Enzyme Activity in Motoneurons between the Cervical and Lumbar Segments in the Rat Spinal Cord after Spaceflight and Recovery. Neurochem Res 31, 411–415 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-005-9027-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-005-9027-1

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