Microgravity and aging of animals

A study of changed gravity effects upon viability, life span and aging is of interest, on one hand, from a practical viewpoint in relation to the growing duration of space missions and on other hand, from a theoretical viewpoint, because gravity is one of the key factors in the evolutionary process on the Earth. In 1978 special conference titled "Space Gerontology" was held. Well known experts in space biology and physiology of aging participated in it. However, all the materiales presented at the conference were based on analogies and on what could be during exposure to microgravity rather than on real data. I shall try to discuss this problem, basing on the results of rats experiments on board "Cosmos" biosatellites and ground based model experiments. Male wistar rats examined after 1-3 weeks exposure to microgravity on board biosatellites demonstrated some changes similar to the signs [correction of sings] of aging, such as decreased motor activity, thymus involution, muscle atrophy, osteoporosis etc. But all these changes were reversible and in rats examined 3 weeks after return to the Earth we did not find any deviations from the controls.