Assessment of Sialylation of Skeletal Muscle Atrophy due to Simulated Microgravity
Start Date
April 2026
Location
3rd floor - Library
Abstract
The effects of microgravity and their impacts on the human body continue to be an important area of research as the process of advancing space exploration continues forward. Skeletal muscles play a substantial role in human health and are greatly impacted by the effects of microgravity. Sialic acid is known to play a crucial role in muscle function and is involved in some muscle loss disorders, such as GNE Myopathy. This study aims to determine one possible mechanism of muscle atrophy when exposed to microgravity during spaceflight. The study aims to determine if exposure to microgravity, simulated by hind limb unloading in Wistar rats, reduces sialic acid in skeletal muscles and therefore plays a role in the muscle atrophy experienced by astronauts. To assess sialylation of muscle tissue, both qRT-PCR and lectin microarray were used. Specific sialic acid linkages in both male versus female, and hindlimb normal loading versus hindlimb unloading were examined using a lectin microarray. Significant findings indicate that in female rats’ soleus muscle, hindlimb unloading is associated with increased core O-glycan and sialic acid binding compared against normal loading. Gene expression measured with qRT-PCR found a significant difference between loaded and unloaded expression of ST3Gal1 (p=0.0035). This research is ongoing with additional qRT-PCR targets to be tested. Continued experimentation will help develop more advanced countermeasures against muscle atrophy due to changes in sialic acid levels.
Assessment of Sialylation of Skeletal Muscle Atrophy due to Simulated Microgravity
3rd floor - Library
The effects of microgravity and their impacts on the human body continue to be an important area of research as the process of advancing space exploration continues forward. Skeletal muscles play a substantial role in human health and are greatly impacted by the effects of microgravity. Sialic acid is known to play a crucial role in muscle function and is involved in some muscle loss disorders, such as GNE Myopathy. This study aims to determine one possible mechanism of muscle atrophy when exposed to microgravity during spaceflight. The study aims to determine if exposure to microgravity, simulated by hind limb unloading in Wistar rats, reduces sialic acid in skeletal muscles and therefore plays a role in the muscle atrophy experienced by astronauts. To assess sialylation of muscle tissue, both qRT-PCR and lectin microarray were used. Specific sialic acid linkages in both male versus female, and hindlimb normal loading versus hindlimb unloading were examined using a lectin microarray. Significant findings indicate that in female rats’ soleus muscle, hindlimb unloading is associated with increased core O-glycan and sialic acid binding compared against normal loading. Gene expression measured with qRT-PCR found a significant difference between loaded and unloaded expression of ST3Gal1 (p=0.0035). This research is ongoing with additional qRT-PCR targets to be tested. Continued experimentation will help develop more advanced countermeasures against muscle atrophy due to changes in sialic acid levels.
