Patel Smit
Vascular Biology, Cardiovascular Science, National Heart & Lung Institute (NHLI), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Dovehouse Street, London SW3 6LY, UK.
Int J Cardiol Heart Vasc. 2020 Jul 30;30:100595. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcha.2020.100595. eCollection 2020 Oct.
The unique conditions of space harbor considerable challenges for astronauts to overcome. Namely, the ionizing content of space radiation and the effects of microgravity have been implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. Post-flight carotid arterial stiffness was demonstrated in astronaut studies while early arteriosclerosis has been linked with microgravity-induced oxidative stress in cellular studies. Similarly, radiation has been shown to disrupt molecular pathways, enhance reactive oxygen species and increase risk of cardiovascular disease in exposed populations. These results may bear even more significance in space owing to the propensity for microgravity and space radiation to yield synergistic and/or additive interactions. Potential countermeasures such as α-tocopherol and captopril target these oxidative pathways and may help to protect against the effects of microgravity and radiation-induced cardiac damage. However, more research needs to be conducted in this area to facilitate a safe passage for humans to the Moon, Mars and beyond.
太空的独特环境给宇航员带来了诸多挑战，需要他们去克服。具体而言，太空辐射的电离成分以及微重力的影响与心血管疾病的发病机制有关。在宇航员研究中证实了飞行后颈动脉僵硬，而在细胞研究中，早期动脉硬化与微重力诱导的氧化应激有关。同样，辐射已被证明会破坏分子途径，增加活性氧，并增加受辐射人群患心血管疾病的风险。由于微重力和太空辐射易于产生协同和/或累加相互作用，这些结果在太空中可能具有更重要的意义。诸如α-生育酚和卡托普利等潜在对策针对这些氧化途径，可能有助于预防微重力和辐射引起的心脏损伤。然而，这一领域还需要开展更多研究，以便人类能够安全前往月球、火星及更远的地方。
