González-Torres Luis Fernando, Grimm Daniela, Krüger Marcus
Department of Microgravity and Translational Regenerative Medicine, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany.
Research Group "Magdeburger Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Forschung unter Raumfahrt- und Schwerelosigkeitsbedingungen" (MARS), Otto-von-Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany.
Biomolecules. 2025 Aug 30;15(9):1261. doi: 10.3390/biom15091261.
Spaceflight and microgravity (μg) environments induce numerous cardiovascular changes that affect cardiac structure and function, and understanding these effects is essential for astronaut health and tissue engineering in space. This review compiles and analyzes over 30 years of research on the impact of real and simulated μg on cardiomyocytes. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across five databases, and 62 eligible studies involving cardiac cells under μg or spaceflight conditions were compiled and analyzed. Despite the great heterogeneity in terms of cardiac model, microgravity platform, and exposure duration, multiple studies consistently reported alterations in Ca handling, metabolism, contractility, and gene expression. Three-dimensional human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte (HiPSC-CM) models generally showed enhanced tissue maturation and proliferation parameters, suggesting potential therapeutic benefits, while 2D models mostly exhibited stress-related dysfunction. In vivo simulated microgravity studies, such as the hindlimb unloading (HU) model, show structural and functional cardiac remodeling, and real μg studies confirmed various effects seen under the HU model in multiple rodent species. Thus, μg exposure consistently induces cardiac changes at the cellular and molecular level, while model choice, microgravity platform, and exposure duration critically influence the outcomes.
太空飞行和微重力（μg）环境会引发众多影响心脏结构和功能的心血管变化，了解这些影响对于宇航员健康和太空组织工程至关重要。本综述汇编并分析了30多年来关于真实和模拟微重力对心肌细胞影响的研究。在五个数据库中进行了全面的文献检索，汇编并分析了62项涉及微重力或太空飞行条件下心脏细胞的合格研究。尽管在心脏模型、微重力平台和暴露持续时间方面存在很大异质性，但多项研究一致报告了钙处理、代谢、收缩性和基因表达的改变。三维人诱导多能干细胞衍生心肌细胞（HiPSC-CM）模型通常显示组织成熟和增殖参数增强，表明具有潜在治疗益处，而二维模型大多表现出与应激相关的功能障碍。体内模拟微重力研究，如后肢卸载（HU）模型，显示出心脏结构和功能重塑，真实微重力研究证实了在多种啮齿动物物种的HU模型下观察到的各种效应。因此，微重力暴露在细胞和分子水平上持续诱发心脏变化，而模型选择、微重力平台和暴露持续时间对结果有至关重要的影响。
