Effects of weightlessness on body composition in the rat

Five male rats were exposed to 18.5 days of weightlessness in the Soviet mission COSMOS 1129 (flight group) and killed after reentry. They were immediately dissected into three major body subdivisions: musculoskeletal system, skin, and pooled viscera analyzed for fat, water, solids, and six elements. These results, expressed as percentages of the fat-free body or its components, were compared with two groups of terrestrial controls: one subjected to a flight simulation in a spacecraft mock-up and the other under standard vivarium conditions. Relative to the control groups the flight group showed 1) a reduced fraction of total body water, 2) a net shift of body water from skin to viscera, 3) a marked diminution in fraction of extracellular water in the fat-free body, 4) a marked reduction in fraction of bone mineral, 5) no change in the quantity of stored fat or adrenal masses, and 6) a net increase in total muscle mass as indicated by total body creatine, protein, and body cell mass.