Effects of Microgravity on Epidermal Development in the Rat

摘要

The overall goal of this project was to investigate the effects of prolongedweightlessness on the development of the skin in the fetal and newborn rat. Specifically, we used the NASA microgravitational rat model to test the following hypotheses: (1) Exposure of the pregnant rat to microscopy during late gestation will diminish the transport of calcium across the placenta from the mother to the fetus leading to decreases in total epidermal and dermal calcium content; (2) Microgravity will lead to slowing of body growth and diminish the rate of formation of the outermost layer of the epidermis and the stratum corneum; and (3) Microgravity will lead to formation of a stratum corneum with decreased DC electrical resistance and increased permeability to tritiated water.