Vol. 45, No. 1 Supplementum, 2001 content next

THE STRUCTURE OF SOME TISSUES AND ORGANS OF JAPANESE QUAIL CHICKS HATCHED ON THE ORBITAL SPACE STATION "MIR"

Zibrín, M., Cigánková, V., Kočišová, J., Tomajková, E., Komorová, T., Lenhardt, Ľ., Boďa, K*, Sabo, V.**, Dadasheva, O. A.***, Guryeva, T. S.***

University of Veterinary Medicine
Komenského 73
041 81 Košice
The Slovak Republic		 * Research Institute of Veterinary Medicine
900 28 Ivanka pri Dunaji
The Slovak Republic		 ** Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics SAS
900 28 Ivanka pri Dunaji
The Slovak Republic		 *** State Scientific Centre - Institute of Biomedical Problems
76A Khoroshevskoye shosse
Moscow 123007
Russia

Summary

The effect of a brief space flight on the structure of some organs and tissues was studied in three Japanese quail chicks hatched in the orbital space station "MIR". Results of the light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy of the liver, lungs, bone, bone marrow and joint cartilage are presented in this study.
Both light and electron microscopy revealed massive deposits of lipid droplets in all the hepatocytes of all the flight chicks. Adipocytes, which were numerous in the bone marrow of the control chicks of the same age, were not observed in the bone marrow of the flight chicks. Our observations showed that microgravity during a brief space flight had no substantial effect on the structure and development of bones, cartilage and the structure/ultrastructure of the lungs. Changes in the liver and bone marrow were probably caused by a decreased food intake and are reversible.

Key words: Japanese quails; histology; light and electron microscopy; space flight; microgravity

References

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Folia Veterinaria / 2001