Medicine B.A. Texas Tech University, Ph.D., Kansas University Medical Center Research Interests Weightlessness, associated with space travel, causes remodeling of the musculoskeletal system and changes the mechanisms by which chemicals are handled by the body. Treatment with beta-2 agonists causes hypertrophy of skeletal muscle and induces a repartitioning of the composition of the body, i.e., a reduction in total body fat and an increase in lean body mass. However, the mechanisms by which these effects occur are not well understood. Clenbuterol may ameliorate the atrophy of skeletal muscle during prolonged space flight. Because of fluid shifts among the various compartments of the body during space flight, it is hypothesized that the pharmacokinetics of drugs will change.
Studies are, therefore, needed to evaluate the time-course of drug and drug metabolites in the body.
In addition, drug metabolism may be modified as a result of space flight. This possibility will be studied using clenbuterol as a model. Relevant Publications I.K. Abukhalaf, M. Cray, D. von Deutsch and D.E. Potter . I.K. Abukhalaf, D. von Deutsch, B. Parks, D. Paulsen, H.Y. Aboul-Eneim and D.E. Potter . L.C. Woodson and D.E. Potter .