Godard Brigitte*

MEDES, Institut de Médecine et Physiologie Spatiale, France

*Corresponding Author: Godard Brigitte, MEDES, Institut de Médecine et Physiologie Spatiale, France.

Received: January 06, 2025; Published: January 13, 2025

Abstract

Spaceflight are still fascinating for human even despite the fact they are very challenging for the human body. The life of terrestrial people has been developed to evolve on Earth with the gravity and all the system of the human body have been shaped with gravity.

Cardiovascular system [1] and Musculo skeletal system [2] are may be the most and earlier studied ones because of the direct consequences observed on the human body in space. The lack of gravity exposes the astronauts to osteoporosis increasing faster than after menopausal on the women bodies. After we acquired knowledge from all space mission it has been admitted that spaceflight is a good model for aging and the first system on which it is clearly demonstrated is the Musculo-skeletal system [3]. Nowadays we can easily say that the full body is impacted by the environment of the spaceflight, not only due to microgravity but radiation and confinement inside the ISS (International Space Station).

In this article we would like to highlight the fact that the gastro intestinal tract/system is as well fully impacted by this hostile environment. When we compare the main consequences of a long duration flight on the gut microbiota it has similarities with effect of aging. In this review we present the changes seen in the gut microbiota of both populations: elderly people [4] and the astronauts [5]. How these changes in the microbiome are impacting human body and are responsible for diseases, linked to immune changes start to be well known. This review shows similarities from spaceflight to elderly people or younger people but sick.

Few studies are showing that improving diet might help restoring the gut equilibrium and probably more, changing the state from pro-inflammatory to a healthier system [6]. Since the first short flight it was obvious that the lack of gravity would affect bone, muscle and all systems also, training with exercise was a minimum to be done to make sure that the astronaut can come back with a minimum of impact on his/her body. It is fully admitted that this countermeasure is crucial but not efficient enough. The new knowledge acquired on the gut microbiome and his impact on the body, is promising to allow us to pursue space exploration beyond the low earth orbit (LEO).

Keywords: Aging; Astronauts; Gut Microbiota; Diet; Immune System; Microgravity

References

1. Hughson RL., et al. “Increased postflight carotid artery stiffness and inflight insulin resistance resulting from 6-mo spaceflight in male and female astronauts”. American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology 5 (2016): H628-638.
2. Smith SM., et al. “Benefits for bone from resistance exercise and nutrition in long-duration spaceflight: Evidence from biochemistry and densitometry”. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 9 (2016): 1896-906.
3. Bettis T., et al. “Impact of muscle atrophy on bone metabolism and bone strength: implications for muscle-bone crosstalk with aging and disuse”. Osteoporosis International 8 (2018): 1713-1720.
4. Badal VD., et al. “The Gut Microbiome, Aging, and Longevity: A Systematic Review”. Nutrients12 (2020): 3759.
5. Liu Z., et al. “Effects of spaceflight on the composition and function of the human gut microbiota”. Gut Microbes4 (2020): 807-819.
6. García-Montero C., et al. “Nutritional Components in Western Diet Versus Mediterranean Diet at the Gut Microbiota-Immune System Interplay. Implications for Health and Disease”. Nutrients 2 (2021): 699.
7. Tomsia M., et al. “Long-term space missions' effects on the human organism: what we do know and what requires further research”. Frontiers in Physiology 15 (2024): 1284644.
8. Maalouf M., et al. “Biological Effects of Space Radiation on Human Cells: History, Advances and Outcomes”. Journal of Radiation Research 52 (2011): 126-146.
9. Chancellor JC., et al. “Space Radiation: The Number One Risk to Astronaut Health beyond Low Earth Orbit”. Life (Basel)3 (2014): 491-510.
10. Restier-Verlet J., et al. “Radiation on Earth or in Space: What Does It Change?” International Journal of Molecular Sciences 7 (2021): 3739.
11. Vico L., et al. “Cortical and Trabecular Bone Microstructure Did Not Recover at Weight-Bearing Skeletal Sites and Progressively Deteriorated at Non-Weight-Bearing Sites During the Year Following International Space Station Missions”. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 10 (2017): 2010-2021.
12. Barger LK., et al. “Prevalence of sleep deficiency and use of hypnotic drugs in astronauts before, during, and after spaceflight: an observational study”. Lancet Neurology 9 (2014): 904-912.
13. Gilles C. “Fundamentals of space medicine. The neuro sensory-system in space. P45-192. Springer Edition 2 (2011).
14. Mader TH., et al. “Optic disc edema, globe flattening, choroidal folds, and hyperopic shifts observed in astronauts after long-duration space flight”. Ophthalmology10 (2011): 2058-2069.
15. Carriot J., et al. “Challenges to the vestibular system in space: How the brain responds and adapts to microgravity”. Frontiers in Neural Circuits (2021).
16. Tipton CM., et al. “Neuroendocrine and immune system responses with spaceflights”. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 8 (1996): 988-998.
17. Marazziti D., et al. “Space missions: psychological and psychopathological issues”. CNS Spectrums 5 (2022): 536-540.
18. Law J., et al. “Relationship between carbon dioxide levels and reported headaches on the international space station”. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 5 (2014): 477-483.
19. Mora M., et al. “Resilient microorganisms in dust samples of the International Space Station-survival of the adaptation specialists”. Microbiome1 (2016): 65.
20. Buckey JC., et al. “Hearing loss in space”. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine 12 (2001): 1121-1124.
21. Tesei D., et al. “Understanding the Complexities and Changes of the Astronaut Microbiome for Successful Long-Duration Space Missions”. Life (Basel) 4 (2016): 495.
22. Salazar N., et al. “Microbiome: Effects of Ageing and Diet”. Current Issues in Molecular Biology 36 (2020): 33-62.
23. De Luca d'Alessandro E., et al. “Aging populations: the health and quality of life of the elderly”. Clinical Therapeutics 1 (2011): e13-18.
24. Rémond D., et al. “Understanding the gastrointestinal tract of the elderly to develop dietary solutions that prevent malnutrition”. Oncotarget 16 (2010): 13858-13898.
25. Ghosh TS., et al. “The gut microbiome as a modulator of healthy ageing”. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology and Hepatology 9 (2022): 565-584.
26. Smith SM., et al. “The nutritional status of astronauts is altered after long-term space flight aboard the International Space Station”. The Journal of Nutrition 3 (2005): 437-443.
27. Yang JQ., et al. “The effects of microgravity on the digestive system and the new insights it brings to the life sciences”. Life Sciences in Space Research (Amst) 27 (2020): 74-82.
28. Rai B., et al. “Bone mineral density, bone mineral content, gingival crevicular fluid (matrix metalloproteinases, cathepsin K, osteocalcin), and salivary and serum osteocalcin levels in human mandible and alveolar bone under conditions of simulated microgravity”. Oral Science 3 (2010): 385-390.
29. Afonin BV., et al. “[Investigation of the evacuatory function of the gastrointestinal tract in 5-day dry immersion]”. Aviakosmicheskaia i Ekologicheskaia Meditsina 6 (2011): 52-57.
30. Pei J., et al. “Observation of EGG parameters during -6 degrees head-down bedrest for 21 days”. Space Medicine and Medical Engineering 6 (1997): 413-416.
31. Riepl RL., et al. “Influence of microgravity on plasma levels of gastroenteropancreatic peptides: a case study”. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine 3 (2002): 206-210.
32. Chen Ying., et al. “Effects of simulated weightlessness on tight junction protein occludin and Zonula Occluden-1 expression levels in the intestinal mucosa of rats”. Journal of Huazhong University of Science and Technology [Medical Sciences]1 (2011): 26-32.
33. Shao D., et al. “Simulated microgravity affects some biological characteristics of Lactobacillus acidophilus”. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 8 (2017): 3439-3449.
34. Li P., et al. “Simulated microgravity disrupts intestinal homeostasis and increases colitis susceptibility”. FASEB Journal 8 (2016): 3263-3273.
35. Vinken M. “Hepatology in space: Effects of spaceflight and simulated microgravity on the liver”. Liver International 12 (2022): 2599-2606.
36. Jiang P., et al. “Reproducible Changes in the Gut Microbiome Suggest a Shift in Microbial and Host Metabolism during Spaceflight”. Microbiome 7 (2019): 113.
37. Shreiner AB., et al. “The Gut Microbiome in Health and in Disease”. Current Opinion in Gastroenterology 31 (2015):
38. Siddiqui R., et al. “Effect of Microgravity Environment on Gut Microbiome and Angiogenesis”. Life 11 (2021): 1008.
39. Voorhies AA., et al. “Study of the impact of long-duration space missions at the International Space Station on the astronaut microbiome”. Scientific Reports 1 (2019): 9911.
40. Crucian B., et al. “Incidence of clinical symptoms during long duration orbital spaceflight”. International Journal of General Medicine 9 (2016): 383-439.
41. Tang TWH., et al. “Loss of Gut Microbiota Alters Immune System Composition and Cripples Postinfarction Cardiac Repair”. Circulation5 (2016): 647-659.
42. Enqi W., et al. “Age-stratified comparative analysis of the differences of gut microbiota associated with blood glucose level”. BMC Microbiology 1 (2019): 111.
43. Lv H., et al. “Microgravity and immune cells”. Journal of The Royal Society Interface 199 (2023): 20220869.
44. Ramos-Nascimento A., et al. “Human gut microbiome and metabolite dynamics under simulated microgravity”. Gut Microbes2 (2023): 2259033.
45. Capri M., et al. “Long-term human spaceflight and inflammaging: Does it promote aging?” Ageing Research Reviews 87 (2023): 101909.
46. D'Amelio P and Sassi F. “Gut Microbiota, Immune System, and Bone”. Calcified Tissue International 4 (2018): 415-425.
47. Waldbaum JDH., et al. “Association between Dysbiosis in the Gut Microbiota of Primary Osteoporosis Patients and Bone Loss”. Aging and Disease 6 (2013): 2081-2095.
48. Mangiola F., et al. “Gut microbiota and aging”. European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences 21 (2018): 7404-7413.
49. Ahmad Kendong SM., et al. “Gut Dysbiosis and Intestinal Barrier Dysfunction: Potential Explanation for Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer”. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology 11 (2021): 744606.
50. Turroni S., et al. “Gut Microbiome and Space Travelers' Health: State of the Art and Possible Pro/Prebiotic Strategies for Long-Term Space Missions”. Frontiers in Physiology 11 (2020): 553929.

Citation

Citation: Godard Brigitte., et al. “Gut Microbiota Studies Could Improve the Health of the Astronauts for Long Duration Spaceflight". Acta Scientific Gastrointestinal Disorders 8.2 (2025): 13-31.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2025 Godard Brigitte., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.