A research of 14 astronauts means that whereas house journey depletes pink blood cells and bone, the physique can finally replenish them again on Earth with the assistance of fats saved within the bone marrow. The research, revealed in Nature Communications, has essential implications for well being in house and on Earth.
“We discovered that astronauts had considerably much less fats of their bone marrow a couple of month after returning to Earth,” stated senior research creator Dr. Man Trudel, a rehabilitation doctor and researcher at The Ottawa Hospital and professor on the College of Ottawa. “We predict the physique is utilizing this fats to assist change pink blood cells and rebuild bone that has been misplaced throughout house journey.”
This research builds on Dr. Trudel’s earlier analysis which confirmed that in house journey, astronauts’ our bodies destroyed 54 % extra pink blood cells than they usually would on Earth, leading to what is named “house anemia.” This analysis is a part of MARROW, a made-in-Ottawa experiment taking a look at bone marrow well being and blood manufacturing in house, with funding from the Canadian House Company.
“Fortunately, anemia isn’t an issue in house when your physique is weightless, however when touchdown on Earth and doubtlessly on different planets or moons with gravity, anemia would have an effect on vitality, endurance, and power and will threaten mission targets,” stated Dr. Trudel. “If we will discover out precisely what’s controlling this anemia, we would be capable to enhance prevention and therapy.”
The brand new research concerned MRI scans of the astronauts’ bone marrow at a number of time factors earlier than and after a six-month mission on the Worldwide House Station. The researchers discovered a 4.2 % lower in bone marrow fats a couple of month after returning to Earth. This step by step returned to regular ranges and was carefully related to elevated manufacturing of pink blood cells and restoration of bone.
“Since pink blood cells are made within the bone marrow and bone cells encompass the bone marrow, it is sensible that the physique would expend the native bone marrow fats as a supply of vitality to gasoline pink blood cell and bone manufacturing,” stated Dr. Trudel. “We sit up for investigating this additional in varied medical situations on Earth.”
The analysis additionally means that youthful astronauts might have an elevated skill to harness the vitality from bone marrow fats, and that feminine astronauts’ bone marrow fats elevated greater than anticipated after a 12 months.
As a rehabilitation doctor, most of Dr. Trudel’s sufferers are anemic and have misplaced muscle and bone mass after being ailing for a very long time with restricted mobility. Anemia hinders their skill to train and get better muscle and bone mass. “I’m hopeful that this analysis will assist folks get better from immobility on Earth in addition to in house,” stated Dr. Trudel. “Our analysis may additionally make clear ailments akin to osteoporosis, metabolic syndrome, getting old and most cancers, that are related to will increase in bone marrow fats.”
Dr. Trudel not too long ago obtained the 2023 Compelling Outcomes Award for Human Well being in House for his analysis on house anemia, collectively introduced by NASA, the Middle for the Development of Science in House and the American Astronautical Society.
