Effects of exposure of mice to hindlimb unloading on leukocyte subsets and sympathetic nervous system activity

The hindlimb unloading (HU) rodent model was developed to simulate some of the aspects of spaceflight conditions. Our previous studies showed that exposure to HU for 48 h (h) followed by bacterial challenge, reduces the ability of mice to resist infection. The purpose of this study was to investigate the physiological changes in mice during the 48 h of exposure to HU to understand the mechanisms involved in the increased susceptibility to infection observed in mice subjected to these conditions. Female Swiss Webster mice were hindlimb-unloaded during 48 h. Blood samples, spleen and peritoneal cells were removed before and after 18 or 48 h of HU-exposure. Leukocyte subset analysis was performed in spleen and peritoneal cells by flow cytometry, and catecholamine levels were measured in plasma and whole spleen by a catecholamine enzyme immunoassay. Catecholamine levels measured in plasma and spleen were significantly greater in mice exposed to HU compared to control. This increase coincided with significant reductions in spleen size in the HU group. Flow cytometric analyses showed a significant reduction of splenic CD19 + B-cells and NK1.1+ cells in mice exposed to HU with a concomitant increase in T-cells. These results suggest that exposure to HU increases the activity of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and induces lymphocyte sub-population changes that may contribute to the deregulation of immunity seen in mice exposed to HU and, more importantly may predispose the otherwise healthy host to the subsequent reduced ability to resist infections.