Evaluation of the effects of microgravity and hypergravity on hepatic stellate cells

In this study, we evaluated cell proliferation and gene expression of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in simulated microgravity (SMG) and hypergravity (5 G). HHSteC was purchased from ScienCell Research Laboratories, Inc. (catalog number 5300) and cells from passages 3-5 were used. HHSteCs were cultured in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium (DMEM) (GIBCO, NY, USA) supplemented with 10 % fetal bovine serum (FBS) (GIBCO) and penicillin/streptomycin (GIBCO) in a 12.5 cm2 culture flask (Falcon 353107) with an oxygen permeable cap. Cells were seeded at a density of 500-1000 cells/cm2. The cells were cultured in a 3D-clinostat (Zeromo CL5000, Kitagawa, Hiroshima, Japan) (F1 SMG) and kept in the same incubator as 1G control (F1 1G). The cells were cultured in Zeromo at 5G (F2 5G)and kept in the same inculbator as 1G control (F2 1G).