Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 27, 2025
14:54
An In Vivo Method for Evaluating the Gut-Blood Barrier and Liver Metabolism of Microbiota Products
Published on: October 20, 2018
8.4K
Gut permeability among Astronauts during Space missions.
Oluwamayowa S Akinsuyi1, Jessica Xhumari1, Amanda Ojeda1
1Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville 32611, FL, USA.
Life Sciences in Space Research
|April 26, 2024
Summary
Astronauts may experience a "leaky gut" during space missions, characterized by a weakened intestinal barrier and harmful gut bacteria shifts. This research highlights the need for gastrointestinal health solutions for space exploration.
Area of Science:
- Space physiology
- Gastrointestinal health
- Microbiome research
Background:
- The space environment presents unique challenges to human physiology.
- Gut permeability is increasingly recognized for its systemic health implications.
- Investigating gut health is critical for astronaut well-being during spaceflight.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the occurrence and mechanisms of increased intestinal permeability in astronauts during space missions.
- To analyze changes in gene expression and gut microbiota composition associated with spaceflight.
- To identify potential risks to gastrointestinal and systemic health in space.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review to construct a genetic map of intestinal permeability.
- Re-analysis of human transcriptomic datasets from astronauts.
- Analysis of murine transcriptomic and metagenomic data from spaceflight studies.
Main Results:
- Reduced expression of genes vital for intestinal barrier function, goblet cells, and immune responses in astronauts.
- Evidence of intestinal barrier dysfunction in rodent models, including altered cytokine and mucin gene expression.
- Shift in gut microbiota composition in mice, with decreased beneficial bacteria and increased pathogenic bacteria, promoting inflammation.
Conclusions:
- Spaceflight is associated with increased gut permeability and associated disruptions in astronauts.
- Understanding these gastrointestinal changes is crucial for developing countermeasures.
- Maintaining gut health is essential for long-term human space exploration.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Factors Affecting Dissolution: Drug Permeability, Stability and Stereochemistry
202
Orally administered drugs primarily enter the systemic circulation via passive diffusion through the intestinal membranes. The drug's absorption is influenced by drug stability in the gastrointestinal GI tract, membrane permeability, the surface area available for absorption, luminal drug concentration, and residence time in the lumen. Drug permeability can be enhanced by adjusting the lipophilicity, polarity, or molecular size of the drug, promoting its passive transport across intestinal...
202
01:06Carrier-Mediated Transport
415
Carrier-mediated transport is a pivotal process in drug absorption, particularly for lipid-insoluble drugs, and encompasses facilitated diffusion and active transport. Facilitated diffusion allows drugs to move along their concentration gradient without energy expenditure, while active transport utilizes ATP to drive drug movement against this gradient.
Active transport involves two types of membrane-spanning transporters: uptake and efflux. Uptake transporters are expressed in the small...
Active transport involves two types of membrane-spanning transporters: uptake and efflux. Uptake transporters are expressed in the small...
415
01:19Drug Absorption: Factors Affecting GI Absorption
3.9K
The process of oral drug absorption can be influenced by several factors. Weakly acidic drugs tend to be absorbed more readily from the stomach due to their nonionized state. However, absorption may be less efficient in the upper intestine, where drugs are often ionized. Interestingly, despite the stomach's apparent advantage for drug absorption, its mucous layer can hinder diffusion. Its surface area is also smaller than the intestine's, which can further slow down the absorption rate.
3.9K
01:23Factors Influencing Drug Absorption: Anatomical Parameters
203
Drug absorption involves the movement of drugs from the point of administration into the systemic circulation. Initially, Gastrointestinal (GI) motility propels the drug through the digestive tract and into the stomach. However, the stomach's high acidity and limited surface area restrict its role in drug absorption for most drugs. The drug then moves from the stomach to the small intestine via gastric emptying, which can be slowed by various factors, including interactions with other...
203
01:27Factors Influencing Drug Absorption: Drug Dissolution
478
The pharmacokinetic journey of drugs from solid oral dosage forms into systemic circulation is multifaceted. It begins with disintegration, a prerequisite ensuring a solid dosage form's subdivision into minute particles. Dissolution occurs next as these granulated entities solubilize in gastrointestinal fluids. This solubilization is crucial for the succeeding stage, permeation, which describes the traversal of the drug across the intestinal membrane and its subsequent entry into the blood...
478
01:25Factors Influencing Drug Absorption: Disease States and Pharmacology
503
Multiple disease states can significantly influence the oral drug absorption process by affecting blood flow and the functionality of the gastrointestinal (GI) system. Various GI diseases, including conditions that alter GI motility, such as diarrhea, decreased acid secretions (achlorhydria), and infections, have been associated with reduced drug absorption.
Substances such as alcohol and specific drugs, including antineoplastics, can also negatively impact drug absorption. For instance,...
Substances such as alcohol and specific drugs, including antineoplastics, can also negatively impact drug absorption. For instance,...
503