Changes in some digestive enzymes after a seven-day orbital flight

Changes in some digestive enzymes (amylase, lipase, uropepsinogen) were studied in the serum and urine of one of the participants in the Soviet-Romanian seven-day space flight on the Soyuz 40-Saliut 6 complex. On the first day after landing it was found an increased total serum and urinary amylase, resulting from the separate increase of pancreatic and salivary amylase, determined by Skude and Ihse's method [14]. In both serum and urine, pancreatic amylase was found in higher amounts than the salivary one. Lipase was also increased. These modifications are in general in keeping with those recorded after different flights of similar duration and are part of the anabolic response. The pancreatic and salivary amylase were first investigated separately. Under the same conditions uropepsinogen was decreased, an unexpected result. Serum gastrin was increased, in agreement with a generally increased digestive activity.