Abstract

The effect of a 7-day exposure to microgravity on board the orbital space station MIR on 3 female and one male Japanese quail all 65 days of age was studied. Body and organ mass was also measured in synchronous and laboratory control groups. In the flight experiment a considerable body mass decrease was evidenced: in the quail hen from 151 to 96 g, in the male from 112.5 to 71.8 g. No changes were observed in the synchronous or laboratory controls. In the flight experiment the mass of all body organs was reduced. In females the greatest organ mass reduction was in the order: ovaries, spleen, liver, adrenals, heart, gizzard whereas in the male it was spleen, testes, liver, adrenals, heart and gizzard. In the synchronous control (i. e. birds under terrestrial conditions) all examined body organ masses were de-creased in females except for the gizzard. In the males the gizzard mass increased. The heart and adrenal gland mass did not differ from those of the laboratory con-trol. The mass of other body organs decreased in the order spleen, testes and liver. These findings suggest an intensive reaction to stress during the transport to the orbital station and back to Earth. This conclusion is further supported by the data obtained in the synchronous control group