Honors College Thesis
 

Effects of Spaceflight on Cancellous and Cortical Bone in Proximal Femur in Rats

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https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/honors_college_theses/73666c14j

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  • Bone loss is common in astronauts during long-duration spaceflight missions with severe bone loss often occurring in the proximal femur, a region not typically investigated in animal models for microgravity. We recently evaluated bone microarchitecture in the femoral head in rapidly growing male Sprague Dawley rats subjected to a 4-day spaceflight aboard STS-41. Compared to ground controls, cancellous bone volume/tissue volume (BV/TV) was lower in the flight animals. The effects of spaceflight on the rodent skeleton can vary with age, duration of flight, and potentially strain and sex. We therefore evaluated bone in the proximal femur from two additional missions: a 10-day mission (STS-57) with growing male Fisher rats, and a 14-day mission (STS-62) with growing ovariectomized (ovx) Fisher 344 rats. Cancellous microarchitecture and cortical thickness were assessed using microcomputed tomography. In male rats, BV/TV was lower in flight animals compared to flight controls but differences were not significant compared to baseline. In ovx rats, BV/TV was lower in flight animals compared to flight controls and tended to be lower (p=0.056)compared to baseline. Cortical thickness did not differ among groups. Taken together, these findings support the conclusion that spaceflight results in cancellous osteopenia in femoral head of growing rats. Key Words: spaceflight, proximal femur, bone microarchitecture, micro computed tomography, bone volume/tissue volume
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  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NX15AL15G).
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  • Pending Publication
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  • 2020-06-01 to 2021-07-02

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