Bone health in spacefaring rodents and primates: systematic review and meta-analysis

• Published in: NPJ microgravity Vol. 7; no. 1; p. 19
• Main Authors: Fu, Jingyan, Goldsmith, Matthew, Crooks, Sequoia D., Condon, Sean F., Morris, Martin, Komarova, Svetlana V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01-06-2021; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/114; 631/443; Applied Microbiology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Bone growth; Cancellous bone; Classical and Continuum Physics; Cortical bone; Immunology; Life Sciences; Meta-analysis; Microgravity; Osteogenesis; Space Exploration and Astronautics; Space flight; Space Sciences (including Extraterrestrial Physics
• ISSN: 2373-8065; 2373-8065
• DOI: 10.1038/s41526-021-00147-7

Animals in space exploration studies serve both as a model for human physiology and as a means to understand the physiological effects of microgravity. To quantify the microgravity-induced changes to bone health in animals, we systematically searched Medline, Embase, Web of Science, BIOSIS, and NASA Technical reports. We selected 40 papers focusing on the bone health of 95 rats, 61 mice, and 9 rhesus monkeys from 22 space missions. The percentage difference from ground control in rodents was –24.1% [Confidence interval: −43.4, −4.9] for trabecular bone volume fraction and –5.9% [−8.0, −3.8] for the cortical area. In primates, trabecular bone volume fraction was lower by –25.2% [−35.6, −14.7] in spaceflight animals compared to GC. Bone formation indices in rodent trabecular and cortical bone were significantly lower in microgravity. In contrast, osteoclast numbers were not affected in rats and were variably affected in mice. Thus, microgravity induces bone deficits in rodents and primates likely through the suppression of bone formation.