Early changes to the extracellular space in the hippocampus under simulated microgravity conditions.

Abstract

The smooth transportation of substances through the brain extracellular space (ECS) is crucial to maintaining brain function; however, the way this occurs under simulated microgravity remains unclear. In this study, tracer-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and DECS-mapping techniques were used to image the drainage of brain interstitial fluid (ISF) from the ECS of the hippocampus in a tail-suspended hindlimb-unloading rat model at day 3 (HU-3) and 7 (HU-7). The results indicated that drainage of the ISF was accelerated in the HU-3 group but slowed markedly in the HU-7 group. The tortuosity of the ECS decreased in the HU-3 group but increased in the HU-7 group, while the volume fraction of the ECS increased in both groups. The diffusion rate within the ECS increased in the HU-3 group and decreased in the HU-7 group. The alterations to ISF drainage and diffusion in the ECS were recoverable in the HU-3 group, but neither parameter was restored in the HU-7 group. Our findings suggest that early changes to the hippocampal ECS and ISF drainage under simulated microgravity can be detected by tracer-based MRI, providing a new perspective for studying microgravity-induced nano-scale structure abnormities and developing neuroprotective approaches involving the brain ECS.