Research articleEffects of simulated microgravity on human brain nervous tissue

- The morphology of human nervous tissue changed under simulated microgravity environment.
- Simulated microgravity treatment caused highly disorganized distribution of cytoskeleton of human nervous tissue.
- Simulated microgravity treatment caused increase of apoptosis of human nervous tissue.

During spaceflight, the negative effects of space microgravity on astronauts are becoming more and more prominent, and especially, of which on the nervous system is urgently to be solved. For this purpose tissue blocks and primary cells of nervous tissues obtained from glioma of patients were cultivated after culturing for about 7 days, explanted tissues and cells were then randomly divided into two groups, one for static culture (control group, C), and the other for rotary processing for 1 day, 3 days, 5 days, 7 days and 14 days (experiment group, E). Figures captured by inverted microscope revealed that, with short time rotating for 1 day or 3 days, morphology changes of tissue blocks were not obvious. When the rotary time was extended to 7 days or 14 days, it was found that cell somas is significantly larger and the ability of adhesion is declined in comparison with that in control group. Additionally, the arrangement of cells migrated from explanted tissues was disorganized, and the migration distance became shorter. In immunofluorescence analysis, β-tubulin filaments in control group appeared to organize into bundles. While in experiment group, β-tubulin was highly disorganized. In conclusion, simulated microgravity treatment for a week affected the morphology of nervous tissue, and caused highly disorganized distribution of cytoskeleton and the increase of cell apoptosis. These morphological changes might be one of the causes of apoptosis induced by simulated microgravity.