Electromagnetic suspension-induced coupling effects of intermittent weightlessness and cephalad fluid shift on common carotid artery remodeling and therapeutic target screening in mice
GONG Hangbin
YANG Fan
WANG Yu
LI Bowen
CHEN Kun
WANG Li
Abstract：Objective To systematically evaluate the structural remodeling effect of the common carotid artery induced by a self-developed electromagnetic suspension device in mice and to screen key molecular targets.Methods An intermittent cephalad fluid shift,low mechanical load,and weightlessness coupled mouse model was established using the electromagnetic suspension device.The carotid intima-media thickness(c-IMT),collagen deposition,and elastic fiber structure of the common carotid artery were assessed by HE,Masson,and EVG staining.Differentially expressed genes and enriched pathways were analyzed using transcriptome sequencing combined with bioinformatics.Results Compared with the control group,mice in the coupled effects(CE)group showed significantly increased bilateral c-IMT,elevated collagen fiber area percentage,decreased elastic fiber width,and an increased number of elastic fiber breakpoints.Transcriptome sequencing identified 6 114 differentially expressed genes in the CE group's common carotid arteries.GO and KEGG analyses indicated these genes were significantly enriched in processes such as"extracellular matrix organization"and the"Ras/MAPK signaling pathway".Comparison with transcriptomic data from human aortic smooth muscle cells under real microgravity conditions revealed 272 shared differentially expressed genes.Conclusion The electromagnetic suspension device can simulate fluid redistribution and partially reproduce vascular structural remodeling associated with weightlessness.A molecular regulatory network centered on MMP15/24,WNT6,FGF1,TIMP3,FBLN1/5,and TGM2 is preliminarily revealed,providing a new experimental platform for mechanistic investigation and the development of corresponding protective strategies.
Keywords：weightlessnessmicecommon carotid arteriesvascular remodelingextracellular matrixgene expression profilingRNA-Seqsignal transduction
Publication Date：2026-01-31
Online Publishing Date：2026-08-26(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：9( 11-19 )