Spaceflight influences gene expression, photoreceptor integrity, and oxidative stress-related damage in the murine retina.

ABSTRACT: Extended spaceflight has been shown to adversely affect astronaut visual acuity. The purpose of this study was to determine whether spaceflight alters gene expression profiles and induces oxidative damage in the retina. Ten week old adult C57BL/6 male mice were flown aboard the ISS for 35 days and returned to Earth alive. Ground control mice were maintained on Earth under identical environmental conditions. Within 38 (+/-4) hours after splashdown, mice ocular tissues were collected for analysis. RNA sequencing detected 600 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in murine spaceflight retinas, which were enriched for genes related to visual perception, the phototransduction pathway, and numerous retina and photoreceptor phenotype categories. Twelve DEGs were associated with retinitis pigmento

SUBMITTER: Overbey EG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6746706 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature