[Changes in the soleus muscle tissue metabolism of rats after a flight on the Kosmos-690 biosatellite]

The soleus muscle of flown rats did not show any effect of gamma-irradiation on the composition and enzymic activity of protein fractions. On the Ist postflight day a significant decrease in the content of myofibrillar and sarcoplasmatic proteins in the soleus muscle was found. Besides, a drastic increase in the activity of aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase of sarcoplasmatic proteins and an atrophic type change in the LDH pattern were demonstrated. Those changes were similar to the weighttlessness-induced processes of atrophy and dystrophy and proved reversible.