File Name: RSSN_BSP.DOC

INSTITUTE OF BIOMEDICAL PROBLEMS,

RUSSIAN MINISTRY OF HEALTH

**RESULTS OF US/RUSSIAN JOINT RAT EXPERIMENTS**

**SLS-1**

FINAL REPORT

APPROVED:

IMBP DIRECTOR A.I. Grigoriev (July 20, 1992)

SPACE BIOLOGY CENTER DIRECTOR E.I. Ilyin (July 20, 1992)

RUSSIAN SCIENCE PROJECT MANAGER A.S. Kaplansky (July 20, 1992)

MOSCOW, 1992

SLS-1

JOINT US/USSR RAT EXPERIMENTS

PRELIMINARY REPORT

Joint US/USSR investigations into the effects of microgravity and other
space flight factors on mammals were initiated in 1975 on Kosmos-782 and
continued through 1990 on Kosmos-936, -1129, -1514, -1667, -1887, and
-2044. Joint US/USSR experiments made it possible to significantly
expand the areas of research and to obtain a larger body of experimental
results. The joint Kosmos studies helped to accumulate a great amount of
experimental data concerning the physiological effects of microgravity
and to gain an insight into the pathogenetic mechanisms underlying
various changes. The fruitful cooperation of US/USSR investigators aimed
at studying space flight effects on the mammalian body received yet
another impetus from the development of joint studies to be flown on
SLS-1 and SLS-2.

In 1991, USSR investigators took part, for the first time, in the
realization of 17 joint rat experiments during the 9-day SLS-1 flight.
These experiments included: 3 experiments to study bone morphology and
biochemistry (Experiments \# 1 - 3), three experiments to study
biochemistry of the gastrointestional system (Experiments \# 5 - 7),
seven experiments to study cytochemistry and electron microscopy of the
central nervous system, particularly, brain vestibular structures
(Experiments \# 9 - 12 and \# 15 - 17), one experiment to study
fluid-electrolyte metabolism (Experiment \# 14), one experiment to study
lipid peroxidation (Experiment \# 4), one experiment to study muscle
contractility (Experiment #13), and one experiment to study the immune
system of rats (Experiment \# 8).

In the course of preparation of the flight experiments, US and USSR
specialists met twice at NASA Ames Research Center where they practiced
rat dissection. These rehearsals included training in dissection
procedures, primary treatment and conservation of biosamples to meet the
requirements of USSR PIs for all 17 experiments. After SLS-1 flight, US
specialists performed rat dissection, weighed all the organs and
tissues, and prepared biosamples for these experiments at the recovery
site. After that, the biosamples were shipped to NASA ARC where 6 USSR
investigators continued biosample treatment, whenever necessary.

Altogether the USSR investigators were provided with biosamples from 25
rats from the following groups: basal controls (I), flight rats
sacrificed immediately after SLS-1 recovery (II) and respective controls
(III), flight rats sacrificed at R + 9 days (IV) and respective controls
(V). Each of the groups included 5 rats. The biosamples provided to the
USSR investigators are listed

in Attachment 1. All the biosamples were received by the Institute of
Biomedical Problems, USSR Ministry of Health, Moscow in an excellent
condition. (The shipment requirements, including temperature
requirements, were met making further laboratory analysis possible).

As of today, all the biosamples have been transferred to the different
PIs (listed in Attachment 2) who are actively working with them.

Attachment 1

SLS-1 Rat Biosamples Received by Soviet PIs

\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--

Biosample Amount

\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--

1\. Blood plasma 1.5 ml

2\. Red blood cells All

3\. Brain Whole

4\. Pituitary Whole

5\. Thyroid/parathyroid glands Whole

6\. Spleen 1/3

7\. Skin 100 mg

8\. Heart 300 mg + 100 mg

9\. Pancreas Whole

10\. Stomach Whole

11\. Small intestine Whole

12\. Liver Right lobe

13\. Kidney (left) Whole

14\. Intervertebral ganglia T12 - L1

15\. Spinal cord 1/2 (lower) of the cervical enlargement

1/2

(lower) of the lumbar enlargement

16\. Vertebrae L5 - L7

17\. Muscles: brachialis (right) Whole

triceps brachialis (right) Whole

soleus (right) 1/3

EDL (right) 1/3

gastrocnemius (right) central part of the lateral and medial heads

straight portion of Whole left

quadriceps femoralis and right

medial portion of Whole left

quadriceps femoralis and right

hamstring 100 mg

18\. Femoral bone (right) Whole

19\. Bone marrow from the right femur All

20\. Tibia bone (right) Whole

Attachment 2

Soviet Experiments and PIs

\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--

E x p e ri m e n t PI and

\## Title Affiliation

\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--

SLS-1-01 Bone Biomechanics A.V.Bakulin, IMBP

SLS-1-02 Metabolic and Structural Changes in A.S.Kaplansky,

Bones and Systems Regulating Bone I.A. Popova,

Growth and Turnover G.N. Durnova

IMBP

SLS-1-03 Osteogenesis: Regulatory Factors V.S. Oganov, IMBP

SLS-1-13 Contractile Properties of Skeletal V.S. Oganov, IMBP

Muscles

SLS-1-04 Lipid Peroxidation and Antioxidative I.A. Popova, IMBP

Defence System

SLS-1-05 Mechanisms of Formation of the K.V. Smirnov, Stomach
Hypersecretory Function IMBP

SLS-1-06 Mechanisms of Changes in Exocrine K.V. Smirnov,

and Endocrine Functions of the Pancreas IMBP

SLS-1-07 Digestive-Transport Conveyer in the K.V. Smirnov,

Small Intestine IMBP

SLS-1-08 Spaceflight Effects on the Immune I.V.Konstantinova

System A.T.Lesnyak,IMBP

SLS-1-09 Brain Primary Perceptive Structures: I.B.Krasnov, IMBP

Morphology and Histochemistry of

the Cerebellar Nodulus

SLS-1-15 Morphology and Histochemistry of I.B.Krasnov, IMBP

Spinal Cord and Intervertebral Ganglia V.I. Drobyshev &

I.V. Polyakov,

Voronezh Medical Institute

SLS-1-16 Hypothalamus: Histochemistry I.B.Krasnov, IMBP

SLS-1-10 Morphology of Neurons T.A.Leontovich &

P.V.Belichenko,

Brain Research Institute, Moscow

I.B.Krasnov, IMBP

SLS-1-11 Brain Cortex Ultrastructure L.N. Dyachkova,

Institute of Evolutionary Morphology and Animal Ecology, Moscow

I.B.Krasnov, IMBP

SLS-1-12 Histochemistry of Neurons L.M. Gershtein,

Brain Research Institute, Moscow

I.B.Krasnov, IMBP

SLS-1-17 Morphology of Cerebral Cortex Neurons .T.A.Leontovich,

Brain Research Institute, Moscow

I.B.Krasnov, IMBP

SLS-1-14 Fluid-Electrolyte Balance Yu.V. Natochin,

of Tissues Institute of Evolutionary

Physiology and Biochemistry,St. Petersburg

Translated by GJT November 21, 1991