Adaptation of vestibular system to gravitational change: can microgravity be simulated by hypergravity?

• Project/Area Number: 15K11916
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: 宇宙生命科学
• Research Institution: Gifu University
• Principal Investigator: Morita Hironobu 岐阜大学, 大学院医学系研究科, 教授 (80145044)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): ABE Chikara 岐阜大学, 大学院医学系研究科, 准教授 (10585235) ; MURATANI Masafumi 筑波大学, 医学医療系, 准教授 (50730199)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2017)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,940,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,140,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000)
• Keywords: 微小重力 / 過重力 / 前庭器官 / 前庭神経核 / 前庭－血圧反射 / エピゲノム解析 / 球形嚢 / 卵形嚢 / グルタミン酸受容体 / GABA受容体 / 光刺激 / 前庭神経節 / RNAseq / ChIPseq / 過重力環境 / 微小重力環境 / 前庭系

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In order to examine whether the same plastic alteration of vestibular system occurrs, vestibular-mediated blood pressure control and changes in gene expression in the vestibular neural pathway (vestibular sensory epithelium⇒vestibular nuclei) were examined. Both astronauts who stayed in space for 4 to 6 months and rats kept under 2 g environment for 2 to 4 weeks showed a suppression of vestibular mediated blood pressure regulation and an orthostatic hypotension. Gene expression of vestibular sensory epithelium and vestibular nuclei of mice that stayed in space for 35 days and mice raised for 4 weeks at 2 g were examined. Many changes in gene expression were observed in the sacculus and utricle. These results suggest the possibility of using hypergravity as a substitute for microgravity in the plastic change of the vestibular function.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Comparison among ultrasonic, electrical apparatus, and toxic chemicals for vestibular lesion in mice (2018)
  • Author(s): Yamaoka Y, Abe C, Morita H
  • Journal Title: J Neurosci Methods Volume: 295 Pages: 58-67
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Role of follistatin in muscle and bone alterations induced by gravity change in mice. (2018)
  • Author(s): Kawao N, Morita H, Obata K, Tatsumi K, Kaji H.
  • Journal Title: J Cell Physiol. Volume: 233 Issue: 2 Pages: 1191-1201
  • DOI: 10.1002/jcp.25986
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] 過重力に対する前庭系を介する応答 (2018)
  • Author(s): 森田啓之
  • Journal Title: 生体の科学 Volume: 69 Pages: 127-132
• [Journal Article] Impact of a simulated gravity load for atmospheric reentry, 10 g for 2 min, on conscious mice (2017)
  • Author(s): Morita H, Yamaguchi A, Shiba D, Shirakawa M and Takahashi S
  • Journal Title: Journal of Physiological Sciences Volume: Epub ahead of print Issue: 4 Pages: 531-537
  • DOI: 10.1007/s12576-017-0526-z
  • NAID: 40021238561
  • Peer Reviewed / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Effects of hypergravity on gene levels in anti-gravity muscle and bone through the vestibular system in mice. (2017)
  • Author(s): Kawao N, Morita H, Nishida K, Obata K, Tatsumi K, Kaji H.
  • Journal Title: J Physiol Sci. Volume: － Issue: 5 Pages: 609-616
  • DOI: 10.1007/s12576-017-0566-4
  • NAID: 40021645358
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Development of new experimental platform ‘MARS’―Multiple Artificial-gravity Research System―to elucidate the impacts of micro/partial gravity on mice. (2017)
  • Author(s): Shiba D, Mizuno H, Yumoto A, Shimomura M, Kobayashi H, Morita H, Shimbo M, Hamada M, Kudo T, Shinohara M, Asahara H, Shirakawa M, Takahashi S
  • Journal Title: Sci Rep Volume: 7 Issue: 1 Pages: 10837-10837
  • DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10998-4
  • NAID: 120007017303
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Effects of gravity changes on gene expression of BDNF and serotonin receptors in the mouse brain (2017)
  • Author(s): Ishikawa C, Li H, Ogura R, Yoshimura Y, Kudo T, Shirakawa M, Shiba D, Takahashi S, Morita H, Shiga T
  • Journal Title: PLoS One Volume: - Issue: 6 Pages: e0177833-e0177833
  • DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177833
  • NAID: 120007128995
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Ground-based assessment of JAXA mouse habitat cage unit by mouse phenotypic studies (2016)
  • Author(s): Shimbo M, Kudo T, Akiyama T, Akiyama N, Sasanuma H, Yoshida N, Zhou R, Wang YY, Ito T, Kokubu Y, Noguchi TA, Ishimine H, Kurisaki A, Shiba D, Mizuno H, Shirakawa M, Ito N, Takeda S, Takahashi S.（他22名25番目）
  • Journal Title: Experimental Animals Volume: 65 Issue: 2 Pages: 175-187
  • DOI: 10.1538/expanim.15-0077
  • NAID: 130005152402
  • ISSN: 0007-5124, 1341-1357, 1881-7122
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Long-term exposure to microgravity impairs vestibulo-cardiovascular reflex (2016)
  • Author(s): Morita H, Abe C and Tanaka K
  • Journal Title: Scientific Reports Volume: 6 Issue: 1 Pages: 33405-33405
  • DOI: 10.1038/srep33405
  • NAID: 120007017301
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Ground-based assessment of jaxa mouse habitat cage unit by mouse phenotypic studies. (2016)
  • Author(s): Shinbo M, Morita H, Takahashi S, et al.
  • Journal Title: Experimental Animals Volume: J-STAGE Advance Published Pages: 1-45
  • NAID: 130005152402
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Feasibility of a short-arm centrifuge for mouse hypergravity experiments (2015)
  • Author(s): Morita H, et al.
  • Journal Title: PLOS ONE Volume: 10(7): e133981 Issue: 7 Pages: 1-14
  • DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133981
  • NAID: 120007136296
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Presentation] What is a role of the vestibular mediated autonomic reflex? (2018)
  • Author(s): 森田啓之
  • Organizer: 日本生理学会大会
• [Presentation] Impact of a simulated gravity load for atmospheric reentry on conscious mouse (2017)
  • Author(s): 森田啓之，山口葵，小畑孝二，安部力
  • Organizer: 日本生理学会大会
  • Place of Presentation: 浜松
  • Year and Date: 2017-03-28
• [Presentation] 短期および長期の重力変化に対する前庭系を介した応答とその可塑的変化 (2017)
  • Author(s): 森田啓之
  • Organizer: 生命科学系学会合同年次大会 (ConBio2017)
• [Presentation] Long-term exposure to microgravity impairs head-up tilt-induced vestibulo-cardiovascular reflex (2017)
  • Author(s): 森田啓之
  • Organizer: ISAN2017
• [Presentation] 「前庭－血圧反射の可塑性とその対策（V-C Reflex）」の成果報告とFS「長期宇宙滞在により引き起こされる耳石前庭機能障害の評価（Labyrinth）」の準備状況 (2017)
  • Author(s): 森田啓之
  • Organizer: 宇宙航空環境医学会
• [Presentation] 「前庭－血圧反射の可塑性とその対策（V-C Reflex）」の成果報告と2015年FS「長期宇宙滞在により引き起こされる耳石前庭機能障害の評価（Labyrinth）」の準備状況 (2017)
  • Author(s): 森田啓之，安部力
  • Organizer: 宇宙医学研究センターJ-CASMHR平成28年度研究報告会
  • Place of Presentation: 東京
  • Invited
• [Presentation] Adaptation of vestibular function to a different gravitational environment. (2015)
  • Author(s): Morita H, Abe C
  • Organizer: 11th world Congress of the International Society for Adaptive Medicine
  • Place of Presentation: 米子
  • Year and Date: 2015-05-27
  • Int'l Joint Research