Simulated microgravity mediated hypothalamus response and differential expression of key proteins: A review on current knowledge

Space travelling has emerged as a hot issue in the world for various purposes. The man has been trying to establish space stations and these efforts have turned into a reality. Longtime stay in space is very much challenging due to various limiting environmental problems and health issues. Among many, one is microgravity that generates uneven flow of fluids in the body which results in oxidative stress. This stress markedly interrupts cerebral activity of astronauts both structurally and functionally. This oxidative stress produced by microgravity distort many essential protein signaling pathways that intricate various homeostatic behaviors within the body. The current knowledge of microgravity effects on human brain especially the hypothalamus is expanding; whereas the comprehension of the basic components of this phenomenon is restricted. Various literature reports already outlined many key phenomena distorted by earth-based simulated microgravity. Therefore, an effort is being made to summarize this bulk of knowledge in a simple way for the convenience of space research community. This review will elucidate the effect of microgravity on the expression of key proteins involved in structural, morphological, functional and molecular functions.