Effect of a Simulated Weightlessness Model on the Production of Rat Interferon

Abstract
A rat model simulating some aspects of weightlessness was used to determine whether simulated weightlessness might alter interferon production. The optimum time for in-vivo induction of alpha/beta interferon (α/β-IFN) by polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid was determined to be four hours in normal, mature rats. Rats suspended in the model for two weeks were injected with polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid and bled four hours later. A dramatic decrease (80%) in α/β-IFN production was observed in those animals exposed to simulated weightlessness as compared to control rats. These data suggest that weightlessness may alter certain immunological functions.

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