Danny A. Riley

Exercise in space: human skeletal muscle after 6 months aboard the International Space Station

The aim of this investigation was to document the exercise program used by crewmembers (n = 9; 45 +/- 2 yr) while aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for 6 mo and examine its effectiveness for preserving calf muscle characteristics. Before and after spaceflight, we assessed calf muscle volume (MRI), static and dynamic calf muscle performance, and muscle fiber types (gastrocnemius and soleus). While on the ISS, crewmembers had access to a running treadmill, cycle ergometer, and resistance exercise device. The exercise regimen varied among the crewmembers with aerobic exercise performed approximately 5 h/wk at a moderate intensity and resistance exercise performed 3-6 days/wk incorporating multiple lower leg exercises. Calf muscle volume decreased (P < 0.05) 13 +/- 2% with greater (P < 0.05) atrophy of the soleus (-15 +/- 2%) compared with the gastrocnemius (-10 +/- 2%). Peak power was 32% lower (P < 0.05) after spaceflight. Force-velocity characteristics were reduced (P < 0.05) -20 to -29% across the velocity spectrum. There was a 12-17% shift in myosin heavy chain (MHC) phenotype of the gastrocnemius and soleus with a decrease (P < 0.05) in MHC I fibers and a redistribution among the faster phenotypes. These data show a reduction in calf muscle mass and performance along with a slow-to-fast fiber type transition in the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, which are all qualities associated with unloading in humans. Future long-duration space missions should modify the current ISS exercise prescription and/or hardware to better preserve human skeletal muscle mass and function, thereby reducing the risk imposed to crewmembers.

Effect of a 17 day spaceflight on contractile properties of human soleus muscle fibres

1 Soleus biopsies were obtained from four male astronauts 45 days before and within 2 h after a 17 day spaceflight. 2 For all astronauts, single chemically skinned post‐flight fibres expressing only type I myosin heavy chain (MHC) developed less average peak Ca2+ activated force (Po) during fixed‐end contractions (0.78 ± 0.02 vs. 0.99 ± 0.03 mN) and shortened at a greater mean velocity during unloaded contractions (Vo) (0.83 ± 0.02 vs. 0.64 ± 0.02 fibre lengths s−1) than pre‐flight type I fibres. 3 The flight‐induced decline in absolute Po was attributed to reductions in fibre diameter and/or Po per fibre cross‐sectional area. Fibres from the astronaut who experienced the greatest relative loss of peak force also displayed a reduction in Ca2+ sensitivity. 4 The elevated Vo of the post‐flight slow type I fibres could not be explained by alterations in myosin heavy or light chain composition. One alternative possibility is that the elevated Vo resulted from an increased myofilament lattice spacing. This hypothesis was supported by electron micrographic analysis demonstrating a reduction in thin filament density post‐flight. 5 Post‐flight fibres shortened at 30 % higher velocities than pre‐flight fibres at external loads associated with peak power output. This increase in shortening velocity either reduced (2 astronauts) or prevented (2 astronauts) a post‐flight loss in fibre absolute peak power (μN (fibre length) s−1). 6 The changes in soleus fibre diameter and function following spaceflight were similar to those observed after 17 days of bed rest. Although in‐flight exercise countermeasures probably reduced the effects of microgravity, the results support the idea that ground‐based bed rest can serve as a model of human spaceflight. 7 In conclusion, 17 days of spaceflight decreased force and increased shortening velocity of single Ca2+‐activated muscle cells expressing type I MHC. The increase in shortening velocity greatly reduced the impact that impaired force production had on absolute peak power.

Prolonged space flight-induced alterations in the structure and function of human skeletal muscle fibres

The primary goal of this study was to determine the effects of prolonged space flight (∼180 days) on the structure and function of slow and fast fibres in human skeletal muscle. Biopsies were obtained from the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles of nine International Space Station crew members ∼45 days pre‐ and on landing day (R+0) post‐flight. The main findings were that prolonged weightlessness produced substantial loss of fibre mass, force and power with the hierarchy of the effects being soleus type I > soleus type II > gastrocnemius type I > gastrocnemius type II. Structurally, the quantitatively most important adaptation was fibre atrophy, which averaged 20% in the soleus type I fibres (98 to 79 μm diameter). Atrophy was the main contributor to the loss of peak force (P0), which for the soleus type I fibre declined 35% from 0.86 to 0.56 mN. The percentage decrease in fibre diameter was correlated with the initial pre‐flight fibre size (r= 0.87), inversely with the amount of treadmill running (r= 0.68), and was associated with an increase in thin filament density (r= 0.92). The latter correlated with reduced maximal velocity (V0) (r=−0.51), and is likely to have contributed to the 21 and 18% decline in V0 in the soleus and gastrocnemius type I fibres. Peak power was depressed in all fibre types with the greatest loss (∼55%) in the soleus. An obvious conclusion is that the exercise countermeasures employed were incapable of providing the high intensity needed to adequately protect fibre and muscle mass, and that the crews ability to perform strenuous exercise might be seriously compromised. Our results highlight the need to study new exercise programmes on the ISS that employ high resistance and contractions over a wide range of motion to mimic the range occurring in Earths 1 g environment.

Vibration injury damages arterial endothelial cells

Prolonged exposure to hand‐transmitted vibration can cause debilitating neural and vascular dysfunction in humans. It is unclear whether the pathophysiology involves simultaneous or sequential injury of arteries and nerves. The mechanism of vibration injury was investigated in a rat tail model, containing arteries and nerves structurally similar to those in the human hand. Tails were selectively vibrated for 1 or 9 days with the remainder of the animal at rest. One vibration bout of 4 h/day, 60 HZ, 5 g (49 m/s2) acceleration, injured endothelial cells. Injury was signaled by elevated immunostaining for NFATc3 transcription factor. Electron microscopy revealed that vibration for 9 days produced loss and thinning of endothelial cells, with activated platelets coating the exposed subendothelial tissue. Endothelial cells and arterial smooth muscle cells contained double membrane–limited, swollen processes indicative of vasoconstriction‐induced damage. Laser doppler surface recording demonstrated that 5 min of vibration significantly diminished tissue blood perfusion. These findings indicate that early injury involves vasoconstriction and denuding of the arterial endothelium.

Effect of 17 days of bed rest on peak isometric force and unloaded shortening velocity of human soleus fibers

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of prolonged bed rest (BR) on the peak isometric force (Po) and unloaded shortening velocity ( V o) of single Ca2+-activated muscle fibers. Soleus muscle biopsies were obtained from eight adult males before and after 17 days of 6° head-down BR. Chemically permeabilized single fiber segments were mounted between a force transducer and position motor, activated with saturating levels of Ca2+, and subjected to slack length steps. V owas determined by plotting the time for force redevelopment vs. the slack step distance. Gel electrophoresis revealed that 96% of the pre- and 87% of the post-BR fibers studied expressed only the slow type I myosin heavy chain isoform. Fibers with diameter >100 μm made up only 14% of this post-BR type I population compared with 33% of the pre-BR type I population. Consequently, the post-BR type I fibers ( n = 147) were, on average, 5% smaller in diameter than the pre-BR type I fibers ( n = 218) and produced 13% less absolute Po. BR had no overall effect on Po per fiber cross-sectional area (Po/CSA), even though half of the subjects displayed a decline of 9-12% in Po/CSA after BR. Type I fiber V oincreased by an average of 34% with BR. Although the ratio of myosin light chain 3 to myosin light chain 2 also rose with BR, there was no correlation between this ratio and V o for either the pre- or post-BR fibers. In separate fibers obtained from the original biopsies, quantitative electron microscopy revealed a 20-24% decrease in thin filament density, with no change in thick filament density. These results raise the possibility that alterations in the geometric relationships between thin and thick filaments may be at least partially responsible for the elevated V o of the post-BR type I fibers.

Carbonic anhydrase activity in skeletal muscle fiber types, axons, spindles, and capillaries of rat soleus and extensor digitorum longus muscles.

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) activities were studied in soluble extracts and cryostat sections of skeletal muscles from prepubertal and postpubertal rats. Acetazolamide inhibition was utilized to distinguish between activities of the acetazolamide-sensitive (CA I and II) and acetazolamide-resistant (CA III) forms of the enzyme. The inhibition studies indicated that fast-twitch oxidative-glycolytic muscle fibers contained both the sensitive and resistant forms of CA. Acetazolamide-sensitive activity was localized within muscle fibers, axons, myelin, and capillaries. Axoplasmic staining was restricted to subpopulations of myelinated axons in both the dorsal and ventral roots. Soleus muscles exhibited significantly greater activity of CA III than extensor digitorum longus muscles at all ages examined. CA III was richest in slow-twitch oxidative and intrafusal fibers. During puberty, soleus muscle fibers matured and converted from fast-twitch oxidative-glycolytic to slow-twitch oxidative fibers. There was a shift from the sensitive to the resistant form of CA; CA III activity increased about sevenfold. This activity peaked earlier in the muscles of female rats than male rats. These results demonstrated a complex distribution of CA isozymes in the neuromuscular system and pointed out that isozyme content depends on both the type of muscle and the age and sex of the animal.

Disproportionate loss of thin filaments in human soleus muscle after 17-day bed rest

Previously we reported that, after 17‐day bed rest unloading of 8 humans, soleus slow fibers atrophied and exhibited increased velocity of shortening without fast myosin expression. The present ultrastructural study examined fibers from the same muscle biopsies to determine whether decreased myofilament packing density accounted for the observed speeding. Quantitation was by computer‐assisted morphometry of electron micrographs. Filament densities were normalized for sarcomere length, because density depends directly on length. Thick filament density was unchanged by bed rest. Thin filaments/μm2 decreased 16–23%. Glycogen filled the I band sites vacated by filaments. The percentage decrease in thin filaments (Y) correlated significantly (P < 0.05) with the percentage increase in velocity (X), (Y = 0.1X + 20%, R2 = 0.62). An interpretation is that fewer filaments increases thick to thin filament spacing and causes earlier cross‐bridge detachment and faster cycling. Increased velocity helps maintain power (force × velocity) as atrophy lowers force. Atrophic muscles may be prone to sarcomere reloading damage because force/μm2 was near normal, and force per thin filament increased an estimated 30%.

Ultrastructural cytochemical localization of carbonic anhydrase activity in rat peripheral sensory and motor nerves, dorsal root ganglia and dorsal column nuclei

Some of the myelinated axons in rat peripheral nerves possess marked axoplasmic carbonic anhydrase activity [Riley, Ellis and Bain (1982) J. Histochem. Cytochem. 30, 1275-1288; Riley and Lang (1984) J. Hand Surg. 9A, 112-120]. A mixture of reactive and nonreactive neurons was a general observation in cervical, thoracic and lumbar ganglia. Nonmyelinated axons in lumbar dorsal roots were nonreactive; this was consistent with the lack of carbonic anhydrase in small sensory neurons. The carbonic anhydrase cytochemical method marked the larger afferent or sensory neurons and distinguished them from the smaller sensory neurons which were devoid of carbonic anhydrase activity. Nonmyelinated axons in the lumbar ventral roots were also nonreactive. Examination of muscle spindle innervation revealed staining of the primary sensory and gamma motor endings. This was strongly suggestive that some of the reactive sensory neurons were primary afferents and a portion of the reactive ventral root axons were gamma motor. The reactive central processes of spinal neurons sent collaterals into the grey matter of the spinal cord, entered the dorsal funiculi, and terminated in synaptic glomeruli in the cuneate and gracilis nuclei. Oligodendroglial cells appeared to be the only intrinsic cellular elements of the brain stem and spinal cord that exhibited high carbonic anhydrase activity. Both oligodendroglial and Schwann cells exhibited intense carbonic anhydrase activity in thin pockets of cytoplasm internal to compact myelin. The subcellular distribution of reaction product within sensory neurons and oligodendroglial cells agreed with biochemical reports of cytosol and membrane-bound forms of carbonic anhydrase. A general staining of the cytoplasm was suggestive of soluble carbonic anhydrase fixed in situ by the glutaraldehyde. Clumps of reaction product on the cytoplasmic surface of the endoplasmic reticulum possibly represented membrane-bound enzyme. Most of the membrane-bound carbonic anhydrase was associated with the internal membranes rather than the axolemma or limiting plasma membrane of the axon. In contrast to biochemical reports, a small fraction of neuronal mitochondria exhibited staining in the intracristal spaces. We suggest that the association of carbonic anhydrase with endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria implicates the enzyme in regulating intracellular calcium because both organelles are known to sequester calcium.

Quantitation and immunocytochemical localization of ubiquitin conjugates within rat red and white skeletal muscles.

We employed solid-phase immunochemical methods to probe the dynamics of ubiquitin pools within selected rat skeletal muscles. The total ubiquitin content of red muscles was greater than that of white muscles, even though the fractional conjugation was similar for both types of muscle. The specificity for conjugated ubiquitin in solid-phase applications, previously demonstrated for an affinity-purified antibody against SDS-denatured ubiquitin, was retained when used as a probe for ubiquitin-protein adducts in tissue sections. Immunohistochemical localization revealed that differences in ubiquitin pools derived from the relative content of red (oxidative) vs white (glycolytic) fibers, with the former exhibiting a higher content of ubiquitin conjugates. Subsequent immunogold labeling demonstrated statistically significant enhanced localization of ubiquitin conjugates to the Z-lines in both red and white muscle fiber types.

Five myofibrillar lesion types in eccentrically challenged, unloaded rat adductor longus muscle--a test model

Sarcomere disruptions are observed in the adductor longus (AL) muscles following voluntary reloading of spaceflown and hindlimb suspension unloaded (HSU) rat, which resemble lesions in eccentrically challenged muscle. We devised and tested an eccentric contraction (ECCON) test system for the 14‐day HSU rat AL. Six to 7 hours following ECCON, ALs were fixed to allow immunostaining and electron microscopy (EM). Toluidine blue‐stained histology semithin sections were screened for lesion density (#/mm2). Serial semithin sections from the ECCON group were characterized for myosin immunointensity of lesions. Five myofibrillar lesion types were identified in histological semithin sections: focal contractions; wide A‐bands; opaque areas; missing A‐bands; and hyperstretched sarcomeres. Lesion density by type was greater for ECCON than NonECCON ALs (P ≤ 0.05; focal contractions and opaque regions). Lesion density (#‐of‐all‐five‐types/mm2) was significantly different (ECCON: 23.91 ± 10.58 vs. NonECCON: 5.48 ± 1.28, P ≤ 0.05; ECCON vs. SHAM: 0.00 ± 0.00; P ≤ 0.025). PostECCON optimal tension decreased (Poi‐drop, 17.84 ± 4.22%) and was correlated to lesion density (R2 = 0.596), but prestretch tension demonstrated the highest correlation with lesion density (R2 = 0.994). In lesions, the darkly staining A‐band lost the normally organized thick filament alignment to differing degrees across the different lesion types. Ranking the five lesion types by a measure of lesion length deformation (hypercontracted to hyperstretched) at the light microscopy level, related to the severity of thick filament registry loss across the lesion types at the electron microscopic level. This ranking suggested that the five lesion types seen in semithin sections at the light level represented a lesion progression sequence and paralleled myosin immunostaining loss as the distorted A‐band filaments spread across the hyperlengthening lesion types. Lesion ultrastructure indicated damage involved calcium homeostasis loss (focal contraction lesions) and “thick‐filamentcentering” failure of titin (wide A‐band lesions) in the early stages of lesion development. Anat Rec 254:39–52, 1999.