[Catecholamines and their metabolic enzymes in the rat myocardium after a flight on the Kosmos-936 biosatellite]

In the myocardium of the weightless and centrifuged rats flown for 18.5 days onboard the biosatellite Cosmos-936 the catecholamine concentration and activity of enzymes involved in their synthesis and degradation--dopamine-beta-hydroxylase, monoamine oxidase and catechol-O-methyl transferase--were measured. The catecholamine concentration in the myocardium of both flight groups significantly increased, and the enzyme activity did not change. These results suggest that an exposure to space flight increases the catecholamine concentration and exerts no effect on their synthesis and degradation in the rat myocardium.