University of Chicago study suggests space missions don't affect astronauts' heart health
Researchers from the University of Chicago have uncovered some information on how space travel affects — or actually doesn't affect — the heart.
Muscle mass and strength in general are a major concern on space missions, since astronauts end up seeing atrophy as a result of not needing to push, pull or lift anything in zero gravity. Thus, it is commonplace to see astronauts on the International Space Station using specially designed treadmills and exercise bikes.
But it seems that the most important muscle is not affected by this issue. Joint research by the University of Chicago and the University of Nebraska found signs that heart muscle cells are not negatively affected by space travel at all.
Researchers analyzed heart cells from five mice that were on board the International Space Station for 38.5 days. The researchers specifically looked at the mice's sarcomeres, the motors in the cells that make the heart contract.
The contracting force in the sarcomeres was the same in mice on the space station as it was in the control mice that stayed on the ground.
Molecular testing also found no major differences in the proteins that make up sarcomeres between the two groups of mice, the U of C said.
"There are a lot of things in common between cardiac and skeletal muscle, so we thought that we would see some decrease in heart function from space travel," UChicago Associate Professor Jonathan Kirk said in a news release. "But in the end, we're pretty happy that this is the result we found. It doesn't give us something else to dig into scientifically, but it's obviously wonderful news for astronauts in the space program that the heart is going to be OK in space."
Researchers said this evidence that suggests that astronauts' hearts can withstand longer trips is good news as NASA considers longer missions back to the Moon, and eventually even to Mars.
The study was published in the journal npj Microgravity. Kirk, a professor known for working "Star Wars" references into his academic presentations, was a co-senior author.
