Monitoring antioxidant defenses and free radical production in space-flight, aviation and railway engine operators, for the prevention and treatment of oxidative stress, immunological impairment, and pre-mature cell aging
Abstract
Degenerative diseases, immune impairment, and premature ageing commonly affect professional categories exposed to severe environmental and psychological stress. Among these, cosmonauts routinely experience extreme conditions due to microgravity, space radiation, altered oxygen supply, physical and mental fatigue during training, spaceflight, and post-flight. Long route aviation pilots display elevated oncogenic risk, connected with cosmic radiation overexposure, and high mortality rates for cardiovascular causes. Engine drivers, like pilots, are affected by health consequences of psycho-emotional stress, and burnout syndrome. The free radical (FR)/antioxidant (AO) imbalance is a common feature in all these pathological conditions. To assess the effective relevance of oxidative stress, we analyzed blood and urine reliable markers of FR production and AO defenses in 12 Russian cosmonauts, 55 airline pilots, 63 train engine drivers, and 50 age-matched controls by measuring the following: (a) lipophilic/hydrophilic low-molecular weight AO and AO enzyme activities, (b) nitric oxide, superoxide anion, hydroperoxide production, and (c) urinary catecholamine/serotonine metabolites and lipoperoxidation markers. Cosmonauts showed elevated granulocyte superoxide and nitric oxide production, increased erythrocyte superoxide dismutase activity and glutathione oxidation, and drastically decreased plasma/leucocyte lipophilic AO levels (P < 0.001-0.01). Aviation pilots, like train drivers, d…
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Increase of ROS production due to exposure to space radiation and microgravity could be associated with premature aging and loss of biological fitness in astronauts.
“The increase of ROS production due to the exposure to space radiation and microgravity could be associated with premature aging and loss of biological fitness in astronauts191,192.”
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- Authors
- De Luca, C., Deeva, I., Mariani, S., Maiani, G., Stancato, A., & Korkina, L.
- Affiliations
- Lab. Tissue Engineering and Cutaneous Physiopathology, Istituto Dermopatico dell’Immacolata – IRCCS, Via Monti di Creta, Rome, Italy
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University (RU)
- Istituto Dermopatico dell'Immacolata (IT)
- ORCID
- Korkina, L
- Venue
- Toxicology and Industrial Health
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2009-05
- Volume
- 25
- Issue
- 4-5
- Pages
- 259-267
- ISSN
- 0748-2337 (ISSN-L)
- 1477-0393
- OpenAlex
- W2076921529
- Cited by
- 35
- References
- 43
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 0.65
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Toxicology and Industrial Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Biochemistry › Antioxidant Activity and Oxidative Stress
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Rehabilitation › Exercise and Physiological Responses
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Spaceflight effects on biology
- Keywords
- oxidative stress, antioxidant defense, free radicals, cosmonauts, pilots, occupational stress, space radiation, microgravity, superoxide dismutase, glutathione, nitric oxide, superoxide, lipid peroxidation, catecholamine metabolites, serotonin, premature aging, burnout, antioxidant supplementation
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Antioxidants, Aviation, Catecholamines, Erythrocytes, Female, Free Radicals, Humans, Hydrogen Peroxide, Leukocytes, Lipid Peroxides, Male, Middle Aged, Nitric Oxide, Railroads, Serotonin, Space Flight, Superoxides, Occupational Exposure, Cellular Senescence, Oxidative Stress
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