Bone microstructural changes in rat tibias exposed to space radiation

Abstract

Human health outside of the Earth’s atmosphere has become a greater concern as humans have lived on the International Space station for over 20 years. Radiation poses a risk to astronaut health, yet there is little research done as to how exactly it affects bone health on a microscale. Solar Particle Events (SPE) will be a concern if space travel evolves away from the Earth’s orbit. SPE is predicted to cause Acute Radiation Syndrome and other unknown health effects. Currently, NASA limits how long young female astronauts are allowed in space because they are considered higher risk for radiation effects. It is important to study all types of radiation that astronauts can be exposed to and compare the sex differences. Studying the effects of protracted radiation on bones is vital for the healthcare of deep space astronauts. The goal of this study is to analyze bone health in respect to protracted radiation and sex.