PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S) : W. Carter Alexander, Carolyn S. Leach, and Craig 



L. Fischer 



EXPERIMENT TITLE/NUMBER : Clinical Biochemistry 



PROGRAM/MISSION : Apollo 



CLASSIFICATION : Human 



DISCIPLINE(S) : Environmental health, Hematology 



OBJECTIVES : To provide routine clinical data for assessment of preflight crew 

 physical status and for postf light comparisons; to detect clinical or 

 pathological abnormalities which might have required remedial action 

 preflight; to discover as early as possible any infectious disease process 

 during the postf light quarantine periods following certain missions; and to 

 obtain fundamental medical knowledge relative to man's adjustment to and 

 return from the space flight environment. 



PROTOCOL : Blood samples were obtained, frozen and transported for analysis. 

 Critical analyses were done before freezing. There was withdrawal of 20 ml of 

 venous blood 3 times before flight (F-30 days, F-15, and F-5), and blood taken 

 at R+2hr, R+1 day, R+6 days, and R+13 days. Urine samples were taken at the 

 same time as the blood. A general exposure history was taken, and ground 

 controls were utilized. 



EQUIPMENT : Blood and urine collection devices and assay equipment. 



RESULTS : There were no values out of the normal range, but there were changes 

 between pre- and postf light levels. In the blood serum as well as in the 

 blood constituents, there was a decrease in potassium, magnesium, lactic 

 dehydrogenase, creatine phosphokinase , albumin, uric acid, triglycerides, and 

 cholesterol. There was an increase in creatine, total protein, BUN, and 

 glucose. In the urine samples, there was an increase in electrolyte retention 

 with a coincident decrease in the volume and hyperosmolality (reestablishing 

 the fluid and electrolyte balance) . A decrease in the excreted uric acid was 

 also found. 



CONCLUSIONS : The accumulated data suggest that the objectives were met by the 

 program. All changes ascribed to the space flight environment were subtle, 

 whereas clinically significant changes were consistent with infrequent 

 illnesses unrelated to the space flight exposure. 



PUBLICATIONS: 8 



