eprintid: 10184219
rev_number: 8
eprint_status: archive
userid: 699
dir: disk0/10/18/42/19
datestamp: 2023-12-20 08:58:41
lastmod: 2023-12-20 08:58:41
status_changed: 2023-12-20 08:58:41
type: article
metadata_visibility: show
sword_depositor: 699
creators_name: Manis, Cristina
creators_name: Manca, Alessia
creators_name: Murgia, Antonio
creators_name: Uras, Giuseppe
creators_name: Caboni, Pierluigi
creators_name: Congiu, Terenzio
creators_name: Faa, Gavino
creators_name: Pantaleo, Antonella
creators_name: Cao, Giacomo
title: Understanding the Behaviour of Human Cell Types under Simulated Microgravity Conditions: The Case of Erythrocytes
ispublished: pub
divisions: UCL
divisions: B02
divisions: C07
divisions: D07
divisions: F84
keywords: Erythrocytes; microgravity; confocal and scanning electron microscopy; oxidative stress;
mass spectrometry; lipidomics
note: Copyright © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
abstract: Erythrocytes are highly specialized cells in human body, and their main function is to ensure the gas exchanges, O2 and CO2, within the body. The exposure to microgravity environment leads to several health risks such as those affecting red blood cells. In this work, we investigated the changes that occur in the structure and function of red blood cells under simulated microgravity, compared to terrestrial conditions, at different time points using biochemical and biophysical techniques. Erythrocytes exposed to simulated microgravity showed morphological changes, a constant increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS), a significant reduction in total antioxidant capacity (TAC), a remarkable and constant decrease in total glutathione (GSH) concentration, and an augmentation in malondialdehyde (MDA) at increasing times. Moreover, experiments were performed to evaluate the lipid profile of erythrocyte membranes which showed an upregulation in the following membrane phosphocholines (PC): PC16:0_16:0, PC 33:5, PC18:2_18:2, PC 15:1_20:4 and SM d42:1. Thus, remarkable changes in erythrocyte cytoskeletal architecture and membrane stiffness due to oxidative damage have been found under microgravity conditions, in addition to factors that contribute to the plasticity of the red blood cells (RBCs) including shape, size, cell viscosity and membrane rigidity. This study represents our first investigation into the effects of microgravity on erythrocytes and will be followed by other experiments towards understanding the behaviour of different human cell types in microgravity.
date: 2022-06-02
date_type: published
publisher: MDPI
official_url: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23126876
oa_status: green
full_text_type: pub
language: eng
primo: open
primo_central: open_green
verified: verified_manual
elements_id: 1965659
doi: 10.3390/ijms23126876
medium: Electronic
pii: ijms23126876
lyricists_name: Uras, Giuseppe
lyricists_id: GURAS33
actors_name: Flynn, Bernadette
actors_id: BFFLY94
actors_role: owner
funding_acknowledgements: U1679.2021/AI.1599.BE [Fondazione di Sardegna]; Prat.2021.1708 [Fondazione di Sardegna]
full_text_status: public
publication: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
volume: 23
number: 12
article_number: 6876
pages: 12
event_location: Switzerland
issn: 1661-6596
citation:        Manis, Cristina;    Manca, Alessia;    Murgia, Antonio;    Uras, Giuseppe;    Caboni, Pierluigi;    Congiu, Terenzio;    Faa, Gavino;         ... Cao, Giacomo; + view all <#>        Manis, Cristina;  Manca, Alessia;  Murgia, Antonio;  Uras, Giuseppe;  Caboni, Pierluigi;  Congiu, Terenzio;  Faa, Gavino;  Pantaleo, Antonella;  Cao, Giacomo;   - view fewer <#>    (2022)    Understanding the Behaviour of Human Cell Types under Simulated Microgravity Conditions: The Case of Erythrocytes.                   International Journal of Molecular Sciences , 23  (12)    , Article 6876.  10.3390/ijms23126876 <https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23126876>.       Green open access   
 
document_url: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10184219/1/ijms-23-06876-v2.pdf