Aviat Space Envir Md
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Spaceflight poses a unique stress to humans that can impair cellular immune responses and reactivate latent herpes viruses. Notably, prior studies have suggested that mission length may be an important factor in the variability of immune alterations observed after spaceflight. In this study, adrenocortical responses and circulating leukocytes were compared between astronauts who participated in either 9- or 16-d missions. ⋯ These results suggest that sympathetic nervous system responses predominate after shorter spaceflights, while longer flights are characterized by glucocorticoid-mediated changes at landing that may result from the accumulative effects of microgravity (i.e., physiological deconditioning) over time.
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Aviat Space Envir Md · Dec 2003
Historical ArticleThis month in aerospace medicine history--December 2003.