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Updated: Jun 17, 2026
Implantation of a Carotid Cuff for Triggering Shear-stress Induced Atherosclerosis in Mice
Published on: January 13, 2012
Long-term simulated microgravity fosters carotid aging-like changes via Piezo1
Jiaxin Zhang1,2, Xinpei Wang1, Zihao Fu1
1Key Laboratory of Aerospace Medicine of Ministry of Education, School of Aerospace Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, 169 Changlexi Road, Xi'an 710032, China.
Aims:
Elucidating the impacts of long-term spaceflight on cardiovascular health is urgently needed in face of the rapid development of human space exploration. Recent reports including the NASA Twins Study on vascular deconditioning and aging of astronauts in spaceflight are controversial. The aims of this study were to elucidate whether long-term microgravity promotes vascular aging and the underlying mechanisms.
Methods And Results:
Hindlimb unloading (HU) by tail suspension was used to simulate microgravity in rats and mice. The dynamic changes of carotid stiffness in rats during 8 weeks of HU were determined. Simulated microgravity led to carotid artery aging-like changes as evidenced by increased stiffness, thickness, fibrosis, and elevated senescence biomarkers in the HU rats. Specific deletion of the mechanotransducer Piezo1 in vascular smooth muscles significantly blunted these aging-like changes in mice. Mechanistically, mechanical stretch-induced activation of Piezo1 elevated microRNA-582-5p in vascular smooth muscle cells, with resultant enhanced synthetic cell phenotype and increased collagen deposition via PTEN/PI3K/Akt signalling. Importantly, inhibition of miRNA-582-5p alleviated carotid fibrosis and stiffness not only in HU rats but also in aged rats.
Conclusions:
Long-term simulated microgravity induces carotid aging-like changes via the mechanotransducer Piezo1-initiated and miRNA-mediated mechanism.
