[State of rat liver and spleen DNA after space flight on the "Cosmos-605" satellite].

The effect of space flight on the content of nucleic acids and the structure of DNA in the rat liver and spleen was studied. The 22-day exposure did not influence the DNA content in tissues, whereas the RNA content decreased by 14% and 19% in the liver and spleen, respectively. The flight did not induce changes like one-stranded or paired breakages in the DNA structure. Studies of the liver showed a minor trend towards a fall of elastic viscosity of the DNA supermolecular structure (difference between the flight and control rats was statistically insignificant). The above changes in the state of nucleic acids in the liver and spleen were transient.