Finch Rebecca H, Vitry Geraldine, Siew Keith, Walsh Stephen B, Beheshti Afshin, Hardiman Gary, da Silveira Willian A
University of Staffordshire, Department of Sports and Science, School of Health, Education, Policing and Sciences, Science Centre, Leek Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 2DF, UK.
International Space University, 1 Rue Jean-Dominique Cassini, 67400, Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France.
NPJ Microgravity. 2025 Mar 25;11(1):11. doi: 10.1038/s41526-025-00465-0.
Incidence of kidney stones in astronauts is a major risk factor associated with long-term missions, caused by increased blood calcium levels due to bone demineralisation triggered by microgravity and space radiation. Transcriptomic changes have been observed in tissues during spaceflight, including the kidney. We analysed kidney transcriptome patterns in two different strains of mice flown on the International Space Station, C57BL/6J and BALB/c. Here we show a link between spaceflight and transcriptome patterns associated with dysregulation of lipid and extracellular matrix metabolism and altered transforming growth factor-beta signalling. A stronger response was seen in C57BL/6J mice than BALB/c. Genetic differences in hyaluronan metabolism between strains may confer protection against extracellular matrix remodelling through the downregulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition. We intend for our findings to contribute to the development of new countermeasures against kidney disease in astronauts and people here on Earth.
宇航员肾结石的发病率是与长期任务相关的一个主要风险因素，其由微重力和太空辐射引发的骨质脱矿导致血钙水平升高所致。在太空飞行期间，包括肾脏在内的组织中已观察到转录组变化。我们分析了在国际空间站飞行的两种不同品系小鼠（C57BL/6J和BALB/c）的肾脏转录组模式。在此我们展示了太空飞行与脂质和细胞外基质代谢失调以及转化生长因子-β信号改变相关的转录组模式之间的联系。C57BL/6J小鼠的反应比BALB/c小鼠更强。品系间透明质酸代谢的遗传差异可能通过上皮-间质转化的下调赋予对细胞外基质重塑的保护作用。我们希望我们的研究结果有助于开发针对宇航员和地球上人类肾脏疾病的新对策。
