Hibernating frog may let astronauts endure long missions without losing muscle
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A small hibernating frog may be vital in helping man conquer space, according to new research.
The burrowing frog, Cyclorana alboguttata, which grows to about three inches long, has the ability to hibernate for months without suffering any muscle wastage.
The problem of how to maintain muscle in zero gravity is one of the hurdles which will have to be overcome before astronauts can undertake future missions to Mars.
A small hibernating frog may be vital in helping man conquer space, according to new research. The burrowing frog, Cyclorana alboguttata, which grows to about three inches long, has the ability to hibernate for months without suffering any muscle wastage
The research could also help prevent muscle deterioration in bedridden patients, according to the research published in the journal of the Society for Experimental Biology.
Now Australian scientists have identified key genes that help burrowing frogs avoid muscle wastage whilst they are dormant.
The study by University of Queensland found green-striped burrowing frogs go underground and wrap themselves in a cocoon of shed skin when resources are scarce in the outback.
PhD student Beau Reilly said: 'If we can understand the cell signalling pathways that confer resistance to muscle wasting, then these could be useful candidates to study in mammalian muscle atrophy.
In space, damage to human tissue is such that it is equivalent to a 30- to 50-year-old crew member's muscles deteriorating to that of an 80-year-old. Jaxa astronaut Koichi Wakata is pictured here working out on the ISS to reduce the effects of muscle wastage
MUSCLE LOSS IN ASTRONAUTS
In space, damage to human tissue is such that it is equivalent to a 30- to 50-year-old crew member's muscles deteriorating to that of an 80-year-old.
This is because the absence of gravity in space makes working in a spacecraft physically undemanding.
On Earth, people constantly use certain muscles to support ourselves against the force of gravity. These muscles, commonly called antigravity muscles, include the calf muscles, the quadriceps and the muscles of the back and neck.
Because astronauts work in a weightless environment, very little muscle contraction is needed to support their bodies. Without regular use and exercise our muscles weaken and deteriorate. It's a process called atrophy.
Studies have shown that astronauts experience experience up to a 20 percent loss of muscle mass on spaceflights lasting five to 11 days.
'These could help to develop therapies to treat bedridden human patients or even astronauts, who frequently lose muscle tone when exposed to reduced-gravity conditions.'
One of the genes named 'survivin' appears to protect cells from a 'suicide' mechanism which normally removes damaged or diseased cells.
This gene has also been shown to be highly active in human cancer cells.
Another gene, checkpoint kinase 1, regulates cell division and DNA repair.
In mammals, inactive muscles can become damaged by highly charged molecules called Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) which are believed to degrade proteins, causing the muscles to waste away.
However in the tail-less amphibians seem to suffer less damage from ROS.
Miss Reilly said this may be due to increased levels of protective antioxidants, including the compounds thioredoxin and sulfiredoxin.
Similar results have also been found in hibernating mammals, such as squirrels.
She added: 'I am fascinated in animals that survive in extreme conditions. I think humans and modern medicine could learn a great deal from organisms such as burrowing frogs.'
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