DEMONSTRATION OF FEASIBILITY OF AUTOMATED OSTEOBLASTIC LINE CULTURE IN-SPACE FLIGHT

There is a large body of evidence that microgravity- or immobilization -induced bone loss is mainly related to osteoblastic cell impairment, Osteoblasts are sensitive to increased mechanical stress and could the refore be responsible for unloading-induced bone changes, However, the nature of osteoblast involvement remains unclear, The effects of the space environment on cells have been studied extensively, but little i nformation about anchorage-dependent cell cultures of the 25 different cell types flown in space has been published, We studied the effects of long-term weightlessness on the cell shape of cultured osteoblasts during the Russian Bion 10 space-flight, This experiment required the development of special automatic culture devices (the plunger-box cult ure system) finalized with the constructors, Multiple feasibility expe riments were performed to allow osteoblast culture for 6 days in micro gravity, The study revealed plunger-box biocompatibility; optimization of ROS 17/2.8 (mammalian adherent cells) culture under closed conditi ons (without gas exchange); and transport of viable cells for 5 days, During the 6 days of microgravity, the growth curves of ground control s and cells in space were roughly similar, Alkaline phosphatase activi ty was enhanced twofold in microgravity, ROS 17/2.8 cell morphology be gan to change significantly after 4 days of microgravity; they became rounder and covered with microvilli, At the end of the flight, the cel ls exhibited mixed morphological types, piling cells, stellar shape, a nd spread out cells, resembling ground controls or Ig flight controls (centrifuge), We demonstrated that ROS 17/2.8 cells were viable during a 6 day automatic culture in space and mere sensitive to space relate d conditions, They adapted their structure and function to this enviro nment, characterized by loss of mechanical stimuli. (C) 1997 by Elsevi er Science Inc.