[Physiology] Muscle Physiology - Research Group

One of the major purposes of this group is to investigate, as well as to develop suitable prescriptions of countermeasure, the mechanism responsible for the plasticity of various organs (e.g., skeletal muscles and brain) in response to neural activity, mechanical stress, and/or metabolic activity, which are influenced by gravity levels.
Detrimental effect of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a serious medical concern. Being bedridden, in a space flight, or aging can cause chronic inhibition of physical activities, which stimulates the production of ROS that causes DNA damage. Furthermore, exposure to space radiation during a long-term space flight is another serious concern in manned space exploration. Hence, we attempt to develop suitable methods against these concerns, including stimulation of antigravity muscle activity and/or drug therapy.