RNAseq Analysis of Rodent Spaceflight Experiments Is Confounded by Sample Collection Techniques.

ABSTRACT: To understand the physiological changes that occur in response to spaceflight, mice are transported to the International Space Station (ISS) and housed for variable periods of time before euthanasia on-orbit or return to Earth. Sample collection under such difficult conditions introduces confounding factors that need to be identified and addressed. We found large changes in the transcriptome of mouse tissues dissected and preserved on-orbit compared with tissues from mice euthanized on-orbit, preserved, and dissected after return to Earth. Changes due to preservation method eclipsed those between flight and ground samples, making it difficult to identify spaceflight-specific changes. Follow-on experiments to interrogate the roles of euthanasia methods, tissue and carcass preservation proto

SUBMITTER: Lai Polo SH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7756143 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature