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Fluid shifts are main drivers for microgravity simulation-induced immune-physiological changes: findings from the
Dominique Moser1, Marie-Pierre Bareille2, Angelique van Ombergen3
1Laboratory of Translational Research 'Stress and Immunity', Department of Anesthesiology, LMU Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.
NPJ Microgravity
|February 16, 2026
Summary
Spaceflight deconditioning impacts human physiology, with immune changes observed in both sexes during dry immersion. Fluid shifts, not biological sex, appear to be the primary driver of these immune-physiological differences.
Area of Science:
- Space physiology
- Immunology
- Human physiology
Background:
- Spaceflight significantly alters human physiology, but biological sex differences in deconditioning are understudied.
- Understanding immune responses to spaceflight analogs is crucial for astronaut health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex-specific physiological and immune changes during a 5-day dry immersion (DI) analog of microgravity.
- To compare immune responses in DI with historical head-down tilt bed rest (HDT-BR) data.
Main Methods:
- Employed dry immersion (DI) for 5 days in male and female participants.
- Monitored peripheral blood immune cell populations, activation markers, cytokine levels, and noradrenaline.
- Analyzed hemodynamic data and compared DI results with historical HDT-BR data.
Main Results:
- Both sexes showed increased granulocytes and NK cells, with reduced T-cells during DI.
- Moderate effects on leukocyte activation and cytokines; females exhibited higher Torque-Teno-virus shedding.
- Noradrenaline increased with sex-specific patterns; hemodynamic changes suggest fluid shifts drove immune alterations.
Conclusions:
- Fluid shifts, induced by DI, are the primary drivers of immune-physiological changes, independent of biological sex.
- DI elicits stronger immune-physiological changes compared to HDT-BR.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate sex-specific responses to spaceflight deconditioning.
