Bion-M 1 Biosatellite Microgravity Experiment

The Bion-M 1 biosatellite, launched on April 19, 2013 from cosmodrome Baikonur, and the descent module landed on May 19, 2013 in the vicinity of Orenburg, successfully fulfilling the plan for an unmanned, 30-day-long orbital spaceflight. Housing and climate parameters were replicated in the subsequent ground control (GC) experiment (July 26 to August 26, 2013). A total of 4 experimental groups were used for the flight and ground control experiments (n = 45 per group). An additional fifth group included the backup mice for the main flight group (n = 45). Mice of the space flight group (SF) were exposed to microgravity for 30 days. Concurrent with the SF mice, another group of 45 mice remained in the animal facility (SFV). The ground control (GC) experiment was conducted, after the landing, in the refurbished BOS flight habitats. The habitats were installed in a climatic chamber that replicated the temperature, humidity, gas composition and other flight-specific climate parameters. The corresponding vivarium control (GCV) mice were housed in the animal facility. The separate and concurrent GCV groups were used to account for possible seasonal differences between SF and GC mice.
Each of the groups (SF, GC, SFV, GCV and backup SF mice) included mice designated for in vivo studies and recovery (n = 10) and mice for dissection and in vitro measurements (n = 35). Each in vivo study subgroup, in its turn, consisted of 5 mice implanted with telemetry probes to monitor blood pressure and 5 intact animals.
Mice were handled and trained before the flight and ground control experiments. Basically, training consisted of shaping the groups of three mice each for social housing and adaptation to paste diet. The training of mice designated for in vivo studies was more comprehensive. It started with implanting the telemetry probes and, following recovery, a set of preliminary behavioral and functional tests (Figure 1, Table 1 and 2).