Extracellular matrix collagen fiber structures of the gastrointestinal connective tissues in mice after a 30 day orbital flight

: The organs of the digestive system experience high sensitivity to the orbital flight factors and may limit the implementation of the professional activities of crews on International space station. The connective tissue as a system-forming matrix of the integrative and buffering metabolic environment has a particular importance in the space biomedicine because it provides the inner organ functionality in the conditions of changing level of the gravitational incentive. Aim - to study the adaptive mechanisms of the fibrous component of the extracellular matrix of the connective tissue of stomach and intestines on the effect of prolonged microgravity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Using histochemical methods the condition of collagen fibers of a specific tissue microenvironment of the membranes of stomach and intestines of C57BL/6N mice (58 males with an initial body weight of 27.1±0.7 g) after a 30-day space flight and the following 7-day land readaptation was studied as well as in the animals representing corresponding control groups. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Laboratory animal presence on the biosatellite «BION-M» No. 1 has led to the fibrous reduction of extracellular matrix of connective tissue in the studied organs of digestive system structure except for the proper lamina of the gastric mucous membrane. Fibrillogenesis increase in the gastrointestinal tract in comparison with the indicators of space flight animal group has been found after 7 days of the biosatellite landing. The collagen fibers were not characterized by the significance change from the vivarium control group during the experiment with the land modelling of orbital flight conditions. CONCLUSION: The obtained results represent the evidence of fibrous structure gravity sensitivity of extracellular matrix of the connective tissue and show the relevance in the sphere of preventive measure improvement of the digestive system organs in the profession of astronauts in the orbital flight conditions.