[Effect of short-term space flights on physiological properties and composition of myofibrillar proteins of the skeletal muscles of rats].

Contractile properties of preparations of glycerinated myofibers and subunit composition of myofibrillar proteins of skeletal muscles were studied using rats flown on Kosmos-1514 (pregnant females) and Kosmos-1667 (males). After the 5- and 7-day flights the strength and velocity of contraction of myofibers decreased, although this change was not correlated with functional differentiation of muscles. The myosin population tended to vary in terms of the proportion of fast and slow isoforms. It is concluded that physiological properties of skeletal muscles at an early stage of orbital flights deteriorated primarily due to a decline in the functional activity of the excitation-contraction conjugation system of myofibers.