Rienecker Kira D A, Paladini Maria Serena, Grue Katherine, Krukowski Karen, Rosi Susanna
Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Brain and Spinal Injury Center, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Brain and Spinal Injury Center, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Weill Institute for Neuroscience, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Kavli Institute of Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2021 Jul;126:509-514. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.03.036. Epub 2021 Apr 16.
In 2024 the first female astronaut will land on the moon, advancing our preparations for human missions to Mars. While on Earth we are protected from space radiation by our planet's magnetic field, on such deep space voyages astronauts will be exposed to high energy particles from solar flares and galactic cosmic rays (GCR). This exposure carries risks to the central nervous system (CNS) that could jeopardize the mission and astronaut health. Earth-bound studies have employed a variety of single-beam and sequential radiation exposures to simulate the effects of GCR exposure in rodents. Multiple studies have shown that GCR simulation induces a maladaptive activation of microglia - the brain-resident immune cells. GCR simulation also induced synaptic changes resulting in lasting cognitive and behavioral defects. Female and male mice show different susceptibilities to GCR exposure, and evidence suggests this sexually dimorphic response is linked to microglia. Manipulating microglia can prevent the development of cognitive deficits in male mice exposed to components of GCR. This discovery may provide clues towards how to protect astronauts' cognitive and behavioral health both during deep space missions and upon return to Earth.
2024年，首位女性宇航员将登上月球，推动我们为人类火星任务所做的准备工作。在地球上，我们受到地球磁场的保护，免受太空辐射影响，但在如此遥远的深空航行中，宇航员将暴露于太阳耀斑和银河宇宙射线（GCR）产生的高能粒子之下。这种暴露会给中枢神经系统（CNS）带来风险，可能危及任务和宇航员的健康。地球上的研究采用了各种单束和连续辐射暴露来模拟啮齿动物中GCR暴露的影响。多项研究表明，GCR模拟会诱导小胶质细胞——驻留在大脑中的免疫细胞——发生适应不良的激活。GCR模拟还会引起突触变化，导致持久的认知和行为缺陷。雌性和雄性小鼠对GCR暴露表现出不同的易感性，有证据表明这种性别差异反应与小胶质细胞有关。操控小胶质细胞可以预防暴露于GCR成分的雄性小鼠出现认知缺陷。这一发现可能为如何在深空任务期间以及返回地球后保护宇航员的认知和行为健康提供线索。
