Long-Term Space Flight Could Cause Liver Damage In Astronauts

(Photo : Getty Images/Peter Parks) Scientists have found signs of liver damage in mice sent into space aboard NASA's Atlantis space shuttle.

Scientists have found signs of liver damage in mice sent into space aboard NASA's Atlantis space shuttle.

The mice were sent into space to observe the long-term effects of space on the body as part of the space agency's future missions to Mars preparations, writes Nature World News.

After their long-term stay aboard the Atlantis space shuttle, researchers from the University of Colorado determined that the mice were showing signs of liver disease, writes Science Daily.

"Prior to this study, we really didn't have much information on the impact of space flight on the liver... We knew that astronauts often returned with diabetes-like symptoms, but they usually resolved quickly," Karen Jonscher, PhD, an associate professor of anesthesiology and a physicist at the University of Colorado said in a press release.

After 13-and-a-half days aboard the space shuttle, the researchers collected samples from the mice. When analyzing the samples, they found that space flight had resulted in damaged to specialized liver cells that eventually lead to long-term harm to the organ.

"We saw the beginning of nascent liver damage in just 13.5 days...The mice also lost lean muscle mass. We have seen this same phenomenon in humans on bedrest -- muscles atrophy and proteins break down into amino acids." Jonscher said.

The mice also displayed signs of increased fat storage in the liver area after the space flight. According to the researchers, this could be attributed to the loss of specific minerals that are responsible for breaking down fats within the body.

The results could have some effect on the planned NASA mission to Mars as the same effect could potentially be observed in humans under the same conditions, writes The Daily Mail.

The mice spent less than 14 days on the space shuttle, while a journey to Mars would take about a year.

"The mice showed signs of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and potential early indicators for the beginnings of fibrosis, the first stage of liver scarring," the researchers wrote in a report.

Researchers are aiming to further explore how prolonged time in space can affect the body in order to protect the health of the astronauts who will eventually be deployed on a space mission to Mars.

The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE.