Life Sciences in Space Research最新文献

{"title":"Simulating the impact of C/O ratio on chemical evolution of N-bearing species in the Hot molecular core","authors":"Wasim Iqbal ,&nbsp;Xiaohu Li ,&nbsp;Jixing Ge ,&nbsp;Gleb Fedoseev ,&nbsp;Xia Zhang ,&nbsp;Yi-Han Wu ,&nbsp;Fangfang Li ,&nbsp;Zhenzhen Miao","doi":"10.1016/j.lssr.2025.08.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lssr.2025.08.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nitrogen-bearing species play a pivotal role in the chemical complexity of the interstellar medium, serving as key tracers of physical conditions and potential precursors to prebiotic molecules in star-forming environments. In this study, the chemical evolution of six nitrogen-bearing species (HC<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>3</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>N, HC<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>5</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>N, HNCO, NH<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>CN, C<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>H<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>5</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>CN, and NH<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>CHO) in high-mass star-forming regions have been investigated using a three-stage physical model, encompassing cloud collapse, warm-up, and post-warm-up stages. Simulations were conducted across varying carbon-to-oxygen (C/O) ratios (0.5, 0.75, 1, and 1.25) to analyze the time-dependent abundances of these species over a period of <span><math><mrow><mn>2</mn><mo>×</mo><mn>1</mn><msup><mrow><mn>0</mn></mrow><mrow><mn>6</mn></mrow></msup></mrow></math></span> years. The results reveal distinct evolutionary patterns for each species and demonstrate their sensitivity to the C/O ratio.</div><div>For HC<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>3</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>N and HC<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>5</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>N, early-stage abundances increase during the cloud collapse stage, while higher C/O ratios favor their enhanced production during the warm-up stage. However, post-warm-up simulations overestimate their observed abundances. The production of HNCO aligns best with the observed values at a C/O ratio of 0.5, highlighting its dependence on lower C/O ratios. NH<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>CN and C<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>H<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>5</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>CN exhibit contrasting trends during the warm-up stage, with NH<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>CN decreasing and C<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>H<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>5</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>CN increasing as C/O ratios rise. Despite their significant abundance during the warm-up stage, post-warm-up simulations overestimate the observed values for these species.</div><div>Overall, while the model successfully captures key trends in nitrogen-bearing species evolution, discrepancies with observed abundances — especially in the post-warm-up stage — underline the need for improved chemical networks and refined physical parameters to better understand the complex astrochemistry of high-mass star-forming regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18029,"journal":{"name":"Life Sciences in Space Research","volume":"49 ","pages":"Pages 71-76"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147307287","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Overview of complex organic molecule observations in protostellar systems","authors":"Pooneh Nazari","doi":"10.1016/j.lssr.2025.10.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lssr.2025.10.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Complex organic molecules (COMs) have been detected abundantly at various stages of star formation, particularly in the warm protostellar phase. The progress in gas-phase measurements has been accelerated by the advent of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array and in ice measurements by the <em>James Webb Space Telescope</em>. Particularly, the community has moved from single-source studies of COMs to statistical analyses because of these powerful instruments. In this article, I review surveys that consider COMs in the gas and ice. The two takeaways from this review include; 1. Gas-phase abundance ratios for some COMs show a small difference across many objects and the ice abundance ratios show similar or higher values to the gas, both pointing to the importance of ice chemistry in COM formation, 2. Some COM ratios show larger differences across many objects which could be due to either chemical or physical effects, thus both factors need to be considered when interpreting the data.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18029,"journal":{"name":"Life Sciences in Space Research","volume":"49 ","pages":"Pages 4-28"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147307284","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Infrared spectral signatures of nucleobases in interstellar ices II: Pyrimidines","authors":"Caroline Antunes Rosa ,&nbsp;Alexandre Bergantini ,&nbsp;Péter Herczku ,&nbsp;Duncan V. Mifsud ,&nbsp;Gergő Lakatos ,&nbsp;Sándor T.S. Kovács ,&nbsp;Béla Sulik ,&nbsp;Zoltán Juhász ,&nbsp;Sergio Ioppolo ,&nbsp;Nigel J. Mason ,&nbsp;Claudia Lage","doi":"10.1016/j.lssr.2025.11.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lssr.2025.11.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The identification of pyrimidine nucleobases in interstellar environments such as dense clouds and pre-stellar cores represents a much sought-after result in astrochemical and astrobiological research. Indeed, such an identification would allow for insights into the interstellar formation of these complex organic molecules and, possibly, a better understanding of their putative transfer to the early Earth where they may have contributed to the emergence of life. In this present work, we report the results of an extensive mid-infrared spectroscopic study of the solid pyrimidine nucleobases cytosine, thymine, and uracil under conditions representative of the dense interstellar medium to potentially facilitate their identification in such environments. Spectra of the neat crystalline nucleobases, as well as a mixture of all three, were acquired at temperatures of 300 and 20 K. Furthermore, the spectra of these nucleobases in the presence of interstellar ice analogues containing H₂O:NH₃:CH₄:CO:CH₃OH in a 10:1:1:1:1 ratio were also acquired to determine whether any nucleobase absorption features were evident in the presence of ubiquitous volatile interstellar molecular ices, and thus could be used as possible spectroscopic fingerprints for the identification of interstellar pyrimidines. Our present work has identified three mid-infrared absorption bands at 1512, 1237, and 758 cm^–1 (6.61, 8.08, and 13.19 μm) that could be useful in this regard. The potential utility of these absorption features in observational surveys of the dense interstellar medium, together with the limitations of our study and recommendations for future work, are discussed in detail.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18029,"journal":{"name":"Life Sciences in Space Research","volume":"49 ","pages":"Pages 107-117"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147307313","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Infrared spectroscopy reveals ethylene glycol is an anti-crystallizer in water mixed astrochemical ices","authors":"Wafikul Khan ,&nbsp;R Ramachandran ,&nbsp;S Gupta ,&nbsp;J K Meka ,&nbsp;V Venkataraman ,&nbsp;H Hill ,&nbsp;B N Rajasekhar ,&nbsp;P Janardhan ,&nbsp;Anil Bhardwaj ,&nbsp;N J Mason ,&nbsp;B Sivaraman","doi":"10.1016/j.lssr.2025.01.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lssr.2025.01.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><span>Ethylene glycol (EG), known as an anti-freeze for water on planet Earth is also known to be present in the </span>interstellar medium<span> and both long and/ short period comets<span><span><span>. The ubiquitous EG might have an influence on the physico-chemical nature of other molecules, such as water, in a coexistence scenario within the cometary ices and icy mantles of cold dust in the ISM. However the laboratory studies on the influence of EG molecules on water molecules in astrochemical icy conditions are limited to date. Hence we have carried out mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopic study of the layered and mixture of EG and water in the astrochemical icy conditions in the laboratory starting from 10 K to higher temperatures, until their sublimation. We found that the presence of EG can restrict the </span>amorphous → crystalline phase change of water ice and can elevate the </span>sublimation temperature<span> of water molecules bonded with EG to the sublimation temperature of EG (230 K). This is about ∼ 50 K higher than the usually known water ice sublimation temperature. We attribute these to the hydrogen bonding<span> present between EG and water molecules. Thus the presence of EG in water ice can bring water into the reaction matrix on an icy mantle at higher temperatures than previously known. Therefore hydrogen bonding should be included in the cometary models, especially for the comets where EG and water coexists.</span></span></span></span></div></div>","PeriodicalId":18029,"journal":{"name":"Life Sciences in Space Research","volume":"49 ","pages":"Pages 101-106"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147307293","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Binding energy distributions of alcohols, thiols, and their precursors on interstellar water ice surfaces","authors":"Arghyadeb Roy ,&nbsp;Ankan Das ,&nbsp;Milan Sil ,&nbsp;Prasanta Gorai ,&nbsp;Kenji Furuya ,&nbsp;Naoki Nakatani ,&nbsp;Takashi Shimonishi","doi":"10.1016/j.lssr.2025.08.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lssr.2025.08.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Binding energy (BE) is a critical parameter in astrochemical modeling, governing the retention of species on interstellar dust grains and their subsequent chemical evolution. However, conventional models often rely on single-valued BEs, overlooking the intrinsic distribution arising from diverse adsorption sites. In this study, we present BEs for monohydric alcohols, thiols, and their plausible precursors, including aldehydes and thioaldehydes. We incorporate a distribution of BEs to capture the realistic variation in adsorption strengths. The quantum chemical calculations provide a range of BE values rather than a single estimate, ensuring a more precise description of molecular diffusion and surface chemistry. The BE trend of analogous species provides qualitative insight into the dominant reaction pathways and key precursors that drive the formation of larger molecules under interstellar conditions. Oxygen-bearing species generally exhibit higher BEs than their sulfur analogues, primarily due to stronger interactions, further influencing molecular adsorption and reactivity. We implemented BE distributions in astrochemical models, revealing significant effects on predicted abundances and establishing a more accurate framework for future astrochemical modeling.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18029,"journal":{"name":"Life Sciences in Space Research","volume":"49 ","pages":"Pages 77-87"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147307376","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"3D culture and cryopreservation/thawing strategy of human induced pluripotent stem cells for spaceflight experiments","authors":"Jingtong Xie ,&nbsp;Chiyuan Ma ,&nbsp;Yanbang Wei ,&nbsp;Junyi Luo ,&nbsp;Yongfan Men ,&nbsp;Linjun Wang ,&nbsp;Yue Xiong ,&nbsp;Weibo Zheng ,&nbsp;Xiaohua Lei","doi":"10.1016/j.lssr.2025.08.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lssr.2025.08.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Although current space-based cell biology experiments predominantly rely on two-dimensional (2D) culture systems combined with in-orbit chemical fixation protocols, the development of a stem cell three-dimensional (3D) culture strategy with integrated long-term cryopreservation capabilities remains a significant technical challenge in space.</div></div><div><h3>Aim</h3><div>To design 3D culture, cryopreservation, and thawing methods of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) suitable for spaceflight experiments.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A biocompatible PDMS material was utilized to construct a porous 3D culture chamber, which was combined with VitroGel ® Hydrogel Matrix for hiPSCs 3D culture. An automated culture module system was validated, integrating cell culture, imaging, perfusion of cryoprotectant, -80 °C freezing, and thawing processes. Ground-based matching experiments were conducted to confirm the stability of the culture chamber, its mechanical tolerance, and the compatibility of the entire process.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The developed 3D culture system successfully supported the stable growth of hiPSCs and maintained pluripotency in space cell culture units. Both cells and culture chambers demonstrated tolerance to mechanical vibration stress. The established cryopreservation method enabled the direct long-term storage of 3D stem cell spheroids from culture boxes in a -80 °C freezer, achieving a cell survival rate exceeding 85% after thawing. Module-level end-to-end matching experimental confirmed that the 3D culture system established in this study supports cell growth, imaging, medium exchange, fixation, and cryopreservation.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The 3D growth and cryopreservation system developed in this study is highly reliable and adaptable to the conditions of the Chinese Space Station. It is capable of supporting research on the 3D growth of hiPSCs both in space and post-flight on Earth.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18029,"journal":{"name":"Life Sciences in Space Research","volume":"48 ","pages":"Pages 40-50"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145996136","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Human umbilical cord MSC-derived exosomes attenuate radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis via remodeling the gut-lung axis in mice","authors":"Yan Zhou ,&nbsp;Haonan Wang ,&nbsp;Ling Guo ,&nbsp;Xiaodie Liu ,&nbsp;Xing Wang ,&nbsp;Yue Liu ,&nbsp;Mengjuan Shang ,&nbsp;Bo Zheng ,&nbsp;Kewei Li ,&nbsp;Lin Liu ,&nbsp;Jing Li ,&nbsp;Guirong Ding","doi":"10.1016/j.lssr.2025.11.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lssr.2025.11.011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To investigate whether human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (hUC-MSC-Exos) attenuate radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis (RIPF) through modulation of the gut-lung axis.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The therapeutic efficacy of hUC-MSC-Exos was evaluated in a mouse model of RIPF through histopathology and western blot analysis of fibrosis markers (α-SMA, Vimentin, and E-cadherin). Gut barrier integrity (ZO-1, Occludin) and intestinal inflammation (IL-6, IL-1β) were examined using immunohistochemistry, RT-qPCR, and ELISA. Gut microbial composition and metabolic profiles were characterized via metagenomics and untargeted metabolomics, followed by integrated bioinformatics analyses to identify key pathways and metabolites.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>hUC-MSC-Exos significantly reduced pulmonary collagen deposition and restored fibrosis markers expression, concomitant with enhanced gut barrier function and attenuated intestinal inflammation. Multi-omics analysis revealed restoration of gut microbiota homeostasis and metabolic reprogramming, with the alanine, aspartate, and glutamate pathway being notably co-regulated. L-Glutamic acid was the most significantly altered metabolite and correlated significantly positively with the severity of pulmonary fibrosis and gut dysfunction. Gut microbiota associated with L-Glutamic acid (e.g., <em>Duncaniella, Ruminococcus</em>) were also significantly restructured.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>hUC-MSC-Exos attenuate RIPF through a comprehensive remodeling of the gut–lung axis, in which L-Glutamic acid and its associated microbiota serve as potential mediators. These findings highlight the gut–lung axis as a promising therapeutic target for RIPF.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18029,"journal":{"name":"Life Sciences in Space Research","volume":"48 ","pages":"Pages 204-215"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145996249","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Short-term 6° head-down tilt bed rest simulating microgravity ameliorates blood pressure and heart rate variability: A quasi-experimental study on healthy adults","authors":"Chayan Kundu ,&nbsp;Samriddha Sharma ,&nbsp;Tandra Ghosh ,&nbsp;Kishore K. Deepak ,&nbsp;Arnab Das","doi":"10.1016/j.lssr.2025.11.014","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lssr.2025.11.014","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As humanity ventures into space exploration, understanding the physiological effects of microgravity becomes increasingly important. Beyond its relevance to astronaut health, the application of altered gravity is gaining attention in clinical and sports settings. While most studies have explored long-term adaptive changes to microgravity, the acute effect of short-term microgravity exposure on hemodynamics and cardiac autonomic function still remains unexplored. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of 30 min 6° head-down tilt (HDT) bed rest simulating microgravity on blood pressure (BP) and cardiac autonomic functions. In this open-label quasi-experimental study, 27 healthy males (aged 18–35 years), selected from an initial pool of 45, were enrolled and divided into control (<em>n</em> = 13, seated rest) and 6° HDT (<em>n</em> = 14) groups. Pre- and post-intervention BP and heart rate variability (HRV) were assessed and paired <em>t</em>-tests were done. The 6° HDT for 30 min showed a significant decrease in SBP (−5.06 %; <em>p</em> &lt; 0.01; <em>d</em> = 0.82) and MAP (−5.06 %; <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05; <em>d</em> = 0.72), with no significant changes in control group. Significant increase in mean RR (4.02 %; <em>d</em> = 0.22), pNN50% (15.71 %; <em>d</em> = 0.14), HRVTi (26.52 %; <em>d</em> = 0.51), and HF power (11.64 %; <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05), along with significant decrease in HR (-5.23 %; <em>d</em> = 0.30) and stress index (-21.6 %; <em>d</em> = 0.49) were also observed post-6° HDT (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05), indicating enhanced parasympathetic modulation. After applying the FDR correction, only SD2 (FDR_corrected <em>p</em> = 0.004) and SDNN (FDR_corrected <em>p</em> = 0.008) maintained statistical significance in the HDT group, whereas no parameters in the control group achieved statistical significance. No significant changes were observed in LF power and LF/HF ratio in both the groups. Therefore, 30 min of 6° HDT exposure elicited a stronger parasympathetic response. Beyond astronauts’ health, these findings may offer therapeutic insights for populations prone to autonomic dysfunction, including the elderly, immobilized patients, and those at risk of orthostatic intolerance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18029,"journal":{"name":"Life Sciences in Space Research","volume":"48 ","pages":"Pages 225-231"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145996252","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Protective effects of compound Gastrodia elata formula on the cognitive impairment induced by simulated weightlessness in mice","authors":"Fang Chen ,&nbsp;Ning Jiang ,&nbsp;Muhammad Noman Khan ,&nbsp;Yiwen Zhang ,&nbsp;Muhammad Zulqarnain Shakir ,&nbsp;Guyue Zhou ,&nbsp;Chenlu Xia ,&nbsp;Yanfei Xu ,&nbsp;Guanghua Lv ,&nbsp;Mengzhou Xie ,&nbsp;Xinmin Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.lssr.2025.08.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lssr.2025.08.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Growing evidence highlights that long-term orbital flight may lead to structural changes in brains and cognitive impairments in astronauts. However, effective strategies to counteract these effects remain limited. Compound Gastrodia elata Formula (CGEF), composed of <em>Gastrodia elata</em> Bl., <em>Polygonatum sibirium</em> Red., and <em>Poria cocos</em> (Schw.) Wolf has been shown to improve learning and memory. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects and underlying mechanisms of CGEF in attenuating cognitive deficiency induced by simulated weightlessness in mice. A cognitive impairment model was induced in mice using Hindlimb unloading (HU) method. Cognitive function was assessed through Object recognition test (ORT), the Morris water maze (MWM), and the Step-down Test (SDT). Serum and hippocampus levels of inflammatory markers, including Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF-α), and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) were evaluated using ELISA. Neurotransmitter concentrations in the hippocampus and cortex were measured using LC-MS/MS. While Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) / Tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) protein expression signaling pathway in hippocampus was evaluated by western blot. Results showed that CGEF treatment significantly reversed the memory deficits induced by four weeks of HU exposure. Furthermore, CGEF treatment markedly suppressed the production of inflammatory factors. It also assisted in the recovery of neurotransmitter balance and regulated tryptophan metabolism to improve cognitive disorder. Western blotting analysis revealed that CGEF treatment upregulated the expression of Synaptophysin, Postsynaptic density 95 proteins, while also activating the brain-derived neurotrophic factor-Tropomyosin receptor kinase B pathway. These findings suggest that CGEF has substantial potential for development as an aerospace health product to improve memory decline associated with spaceflight.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18029,"journal":{"name":"Life Sciences in Space Research","volume":"48 ","pages":"Pages 51-63"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145996198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pinoresinol diglucoside alleviates hindlimb unloading-induced bone loss in mice","authors":"Ying-Ying Xuan ,&nbsp;Liang Li ,&nbsp;Yi Wu ,&nbsp;Zhen-Long Wei ,&nbsp;Mei Zhang ,&nbsp;Min-Na Liu ,&nbsp;Dong-Shuai Shen ,&nbsp;Yu-Hai Gao ,&nbsp;Cory J Xian ,&nbsp;Hui-Ping Ma ,&nbsp;Ke-Ming Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.lssr.2025.08.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lssr.2025.08.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microgravity-induced bone loss has long been a critical issue in space exploration. While countermeasures have been suggested, none have achieved the desired effects. Pinoresinol diglucoside (PDG), an effective constituent of the medicinal herb <em>Eucommia ulmoidis Oliv,</em> was reported to increase peak bone mass in growing rats and mitigate dexamethasone-induced osteoporosis. However, it is unknown if it affects microgravity-induced bone loss. Here, PDG effects were investigated in cultured rat calvarial osteoblasts exposed to simulated microgravity (SMG) and in hindlimb-unloaded mice. PDG (1 × 10⁶ mol/L) prevented SMG-induced osteoblast osteogenesis reduction and oxidative stress (increased levels of oxidative markers and decreased activities of antioxidant enzymes). It alleviated cell proliferation suppression, apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. In hindlimb-suspended mice orally administrated with PDG for 21 days, unloading-induced reduction of femoral bone mineral density, deterioration of bone microstructure and strength, and reduction of osteogenic potential of bone marrow stromal cells were significantly reversed at three dosages tested. It alleviated unloading-induced bone loss (decreased serum bone formation marker but increased resorption marker levels), osteocyte apoptosis (changes in TUNEL staining and apoptosis marker expression), oxidative damages (increased serum 8-isoPGF2α and 8-OHdG levels), inflammation (increased serum inflammatory cytokine levels), and increased bone resorption signal (bone and serum RANKL/OPG expression ratio). These results demonstrated that PDG effectively counteracted hindlimb unloading-induced bone loss by inhibiting osteocyte apoptosis, preventing oxidative stress and inflammation, preserving bone formation and inhibiting resorption. PDG is a good candidate to be further tested for its potential use in preventing spaceflight-induced bone loss and disuse osteoporosis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18029,"journal":{"name":"Life Sciences in Space Research","volume":"48 ","pages":"Pages 64-77"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145996199","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}