Novel method for evaluating the health condition of mice in space through a video downlink

Akane Yumoto; Toshiaki Kokubo; Ryutaro Izumi; Michihiko Shimomura; Osamu Funatsu; Motoki N. Tada; Naoko Ota-Murakami; Kayoko Iino; Masaki Shirakawa; Hiroyasu Mizuno; Takashi Kudo; Satoru Takahashi; Takafumi Suzuki; Akira Uruno; Masayuki Yamamoto; Dai Shiba

doi:10.1538/expanim.20-0102

Original

Novel method for evaluating the health condition of mice in space through a video downlink

Akane Yumoto, Toshiaki Kokubo, Ryutaro Izumi, Michihiko Shimomura, Osamu Funatsu, Motoki N. Tada, Naoko Ota-Murakami, Kayoko Iino, Masaki Shirakawa, Hiroyasu Mizuno, Takashi Kudo, Satoru Takahashi, Takafumi Suzuki, Akira Uruno, Masayuki Yamamoto, Dai Shiba

Author information

Akane Yumoto
Mouse Epigenetics Project, ISS/Kibo Experiment, JAXA, 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505, Japan
JEM Utilization Center, Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate, JAXA, 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505, Japan
Toshiaki Kokubo
JEM Utilization Center, Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate, JAXA, 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505, Japan
Laboratory Animal and Genome Sciences Section, National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS), National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology (QST), 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555, Japan
Ryutaro Izumi
JEM Utilization Center, Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate, JAXA, 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505, Japan
Graduate School of Social and Cultural Studies, Nihon University, 12-5 Gobancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8251, Japan
Michihiko Shimomura
Mouse Epigenetics Project, ISS/Kibo Experiment, JAXA, 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505, Japan
JEM Utilization Center, Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate, JAXA, 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505, Japan
Osamu Funatsu
Mouse Epigenetics Project, ISS/Kibo Experiment, JAXA, 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505, Japan
JEM Utilization Center, Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate, JAXA, 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505, Japan
Motoki N. Tada
Japan Manned Space Systems Corporation, 2-1-6 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047, Japan
Naoko Ota-Murakami
Advanced Engineering Service, Tsukuba Mitsui Bldg., 1-6-1 Takezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0032, Japan
Kayoko Iino
I-NET Corp., 13F, Nissay Aroma Square, 5-37-1 Kamata, Ota-ku, Tokyo 144-8721, Japan
Masaki Shirakawa
Mouse Epigenetics Project, ISS/Kibo Experiment, JAXA, 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505, Japan
JEM Utilization Center, Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate, JAXA, 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505, Japan
Hiroyasu Mizuno
Mouse Epigenetics Project, ISS/Kibo Experiment, JAXA, 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505, Japan
JEM Utilization Center, Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate, JAXA, 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505, Japan
Takashi Kudo
Mouse Epigenetics Project, ISS/Kibo Experiment, JAXA, 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505, Japan
Laboratory Animal Resource Center in Transborder Medical Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
Satoru Takahashi
Mouse Epigenetics Project, ISS/Kibo Experiment, JAXA, 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505, Japan
Laboratory Animal Resource Center in Transborder Medical Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
Takafumi Suzuki
Department of Integrative Genomics, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, 2-1 Seiryo-Machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8573, Japan
Department of Medical Biochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-Machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan
Akira Uruno
Department of Integrative Genomics, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, 2-1 Seiryo-Machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8573, Japan
Department of Medical Biochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-Machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan
Masayuki Yamamoto
Department of Integrative Genomics, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, 2-1 Seiryo-Machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8573, Japan
Department of Medical Biochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-Machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan
Dai Shiba
Mouse Epigenetics Project, ISS/Kibo Experiment, JAXA, 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505, Japan
JEM Utilization Center, Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate, JAXA, 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505, Japan

Keywords: health monitoring method, International Space Station (ISS) rodent mission, space flight

JOURNAL OPEN ACCESS
Supplementary material

2021 Volume 70 Issue 2 Pages 236-244

DOI https://doi.org/10.1538/expanim.20-0102

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Abstract

Clarification of the criteria for managing animal health is essential to increase the reliability of experiments and ensure transparency in animal welfare. For experiments performed in space, there is no consensus on how to care for animals owing to technical issues, launch mass limitation, and human resources. Some biological processes in mammals, such as musculoskeletal or immune processes, are altered in the space environment, and mice in space can be used to simulate morbid states, such as senescence acceleration. Thus, there is a need to establish a novel evaluation method and evaluation criteria to monitor animal health. Here, we report a novel method to evaluate the health of mice in space through a video downlink in a series of space experiments using the Multiple Artificial-gravity Research System (MARS). This method was found to be more useful in evaluating animal health in space than observations and body weight changes of the same live mice following their return to Earth. We also developed criteria to evaluate health status via a video downlink. These criteria, with “Fur condition” and “Respiratory” as key items, provided information on the daily changes in the health status of mice and helped to identify malfunctions at an early stage. Our method and criteria led to the success of our missions, and they will help establish appropriate rules for space experiments in the future.

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