Dynamic Changes of Heart Failure Biomarkers in Response to Parabolic Flight.

Peter Jirak,Bernhard Wernly,Thaer Abusamrah,Malte Kelm,Vera Paar,Johanna M Muessig,Nana-Yaw Bimpong-Buta,Christian Jung,Thorben Knost,Marcus Franz,Michael Lichtenauer

doi:10.3390/ijms21103467

Abstract

Background: we aimed at investigating the influence of weightlessness and hypergravity by means of parabolic flight on the levels of the heart failure biomarkers H-FABP, sST2, IL-33, GDF-15, suPAR and Fetuin-A. Methods: 14 healthy volunteers (males: eight; mean age: 28.9) undergoing 31 short-term phases of weightlessness and hypergravity were included. At different time points (baseline, 1 h/24 h after parabolic flight), venous blood was drawn and analyzed by the use of ELISA. Results: sST2 evidenced a significant decrease 24 h after parabolic flight (baseline vs. 24, p = 0.009; 1 h vs. 24 h, p = 0.004). A similar finding was observed for GDF-15 (baseline vs. 24 h, p = 0.002; 1 h vs. 24 h, p = 0.025). The suPAR showed a significant decrease 24 h after parabolic flight (baseline vs. 24 h, p = 0.1726; 1 h vs. 24 h, p = 0.009). Fetuin-A showed a significant increase at 1 h and 24 h after parabolic flight (baseline vs. 24 h, p = 0.007; 1 h vs. 24 h, p = 0.04). H-FABP and IL-33 showed no significant differences at all time points. Conclusion: Our results suggest a reduction in cardiac stress induced by exposure to gravitational changes. Moreover, our findings indicate an influence of gravitational changes on proliferative processes and calcium homeostasis.

Highlights

Human space missions have experienced a revival in recent years
While different adaptational processes have been reported by numerous studies, cardiovascular complications still constitute the most important issues encountered during space travel [3,9]
The molecular mechanisms behind these findings remain largely unknown, giving rise to further investigations. To further analyze these adaptational processes and to address the topic of weightlessness-induced heart failure, we aimed for an analysis of heart failure biomarkers in response to parabolic flight as a spaceflight analogue

Summary

Introduction

Human space missions have experienced a revival in recent years. While the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) aims for a manned mission to Mars in co-operation with other space agencies, suborbital commercial space flights are about to enter the private sector. Cardiovascular causes are involved in the majority of medical complications in human space missions and represent an important target in space medicine [3,4] In this regard, the most significant change is an increase in cardiac output of up to 40% in microgravity [3,5]. Given the observed adaptational changes in the heart, recent studies speculate about the possibility of a reduction in cardiac performance due to the deconditioning and restructuring of the heart, inducing heart failure and, in consequence, potential arrhythmias [8] In addition to these changes, long-term exposure to weightlessness was reported to cause a dysregulation of the immune system and an alteration of the microbiome, leading to the increased virulence of pathogens in weightlessness [7]. While the changes mentioned above have been described and analyzed extensively by numerous studies, further investigations of the molecular background of these processes remain scarce

Objectives

Methods

Conclusion