Simulated vestibular spatial disorientation mouse model under coupled rotation revealing potential involvement of Slc17a6

Tong Chang; Min Zhang; Jing Zhu; Han Wang; Cong-Cong Li; Kan Wu; Zhuo-Ru Zhang; Yi-Hong Jiang; Fei Wang; Hao-Tian Wang; Xiao-Cheng Wang; Yong Liu

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2023.108498

Simulated vestibular spatial disorientation mouse model under coupled rotation revealing potential involvement of Slc17a6

iScience. 2023 Nov 21;26(12):108498. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108498. eCollection 2023 Dec 15.

Authors

Tong Chang^{1

2}, Min Zhang^{1

2}, Jing Zhu^{1

2}, Han Wang^{1

2}, Cong-Cong Li^{1

2}, Kan Wu^{1

2}, Zhuo-Ru Zhang^{1

2}, Yi-Hong Jiang^{1

2}, Fei Wang³, Hao-Tian Wang³, Xiao-Cheng Wang^{1

2}, Yong Liu⁴

Affiliations

¹ Center of Clinical Aerospace Medicine, School of Aerospace Medicine, Key Laboratory of Aerospace Medicine of Ministry of Education, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
² Department of Aviation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
³ School of Basic Medicine, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
⁴ School of Aerospace Medicine, Key Laboratory of Aerospace Medicine of Ministry of Education, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.

Abstract

Spatial disorientation (SD) is the main contributor to flight safety risks, but research progress in animals has been limited, impeding a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms of SD. This study proposed a method for constructing and evaluating a vestibular SD mouse model, which adopted coupled rotational stimulation with visual occlusion. Physiological parameters were measured alongside behavioral indices to assess the model, and neuronal changes were observed through immunofluorescent staining. The evaluation of the model involved observing decreased colonic temperature and increased arterial blood pressure in mice exposed to SD, along with notable impairments in motor and cognitive function. Our investigation unveiled that vestibular SD stimulation elicited neuronal activation in spatially associated cerebral areas, such as the hippocampus. Furthermore, transcriptomic sequencing and bioinformatics analysis revealed the potential involvement of Slc17a6 in the mechanism of SD. These findings lay a foundation for further investigation into the molecular mechanisms underlying SD.

Keywords: Biological sciences; Natural sciences; Neuroscience; Physiology.