Abstract
For deep space exploration, reproductive health must be maintained to preserve the species. However, the mechanisms underlying the effect of changes in gravity on male germ cells remain poorly understood. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of simulated micro- and hypergravity on mouse sperm motility and the mechanisms of this change. For 1, 3 and 6 h, mouse sperm samples isolated from the caudal epididymis were subjected to simulated microgravity using a random position machine and 2g hypergravity using a centrifuge. The experimental samples were compared with static and dynamic controls. The sperm motility and the percentage of motile sperm were determined using microscopy and video analysis, cell respiration was determined by polarography, the protein content was assessed by Western blotting and the mRNA levels were determined using qRT-PCR. The results indicated that hypergravity conditions led to more significant changes than simulated microgravity conditions: after 1 h, the speed of sperm movement decreased, and after 3 h, the number of motile cells began to decrease. Under the microgravity model, the speed of movement did not change, but the motile spermatozoa decreased after 6 h of exposure. These changes are likely associated with a change in the structure of the microtubule cytoskeleton, and changes in the energy supply are an adaptive reaction to changes in sperm motility.
Highlights
During deep space exploration, obtaining healthy offspring of higher animals and maintaining the reproductive health of individuals of different sexes are nontrivial tasks
In this study, we focused on the sperm motility of mice during their short-term cultivation in altered mechanical conditions: simulated microgravity and hypergravity (2g)
Cultivation of sperm in the medium led to a decrease in the number of motile spermatozoa and a decrease in the speed of movement in the static control group relative to the zero control group
Summary
During deep space exploration, obtaining healthy offspring of higher animals and maintaining the reproductive health of individuals of different sexes are nontrivial tasks. In an in vitro experiment, 49 two-cell mouse embryos on board the Columbia Space Shuttle (STS-80) were assessed: none of the embryos developed [3]. The reasons for these failures could be related both to the difficulties of conducting an experiment in space flight conditions and to the characteristics of the early embryogenesis of mammals and the maturation of their germ cells. Under simulated microgravity conditions by a random positioning machine, a decrease in the survival of mouse follicles was observed with aberrant development of granulosa cells and oocytes, as shown by a reduction in the content of related markers [4]
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