[Results of mammalian cell culture exposure on artificial earth satellites]

The paper presents the results of an exposure of cells of the Syrian hamster strain VNK-21 to space flight effects. In contrast to the cell culture kept in a thermostat at 29 degrees C, the cell culture that was maintained in thermally uncontrolled conditions developed noticeable structural and physiological changes induced by suboptimal temperatures. It was concluded that a 6-day exposure to weightlessness exerted no adverse effect on mammalian cells in vitro and produced no stable structural or physiological changes. Some changes that were detected in the cell culture--faster ageing, stable tendency to an increase of the number of cells with enlarged nuclei, an increase of the mitotic index at an early stage of cultivation--need further investigation.