Relationship of collagen as the component of the extracellular matrix with the mechanisms of autonomic regulation of the cardiovascular system under simulated conditions of long-term isolation

The study of proteins - potential markers, associated signal transduction pathways, and their targets - provides a new understanding of the fundamental mechanisms occurring at the level of regulatory processes in the cardiovascular system (CVS), especially in space flight, as well as in model experiments that reproduce its individual effects on the human body. The article presents the results of studies in an experiment with 120-day isolation within the framework of the SIRIUS project in which 6 volunteers aged 28 to 44 years (three men and three women) participated. SIRIUS (Scientific International Research in Unique Terrestrial Station) is the international research project, which studies the issues of biomedical and psychological support of long-term manned space flights. The possible involvement of collagen different types, an extracellular matrix protein, in the mechanisms of autonomic regulation of the CVS was studied. Using chromatic mass spectrometry in urine samples and analysis of heart rate variability, we have established that the extracellular matrix collagen, which is present, in particular, in the structure of the blood vessel wall, are markers associated with the modulating effect of the autonomic nervous system on the regulatory mechanisms of blood circulation. We hypothesized that these proteins may be a biomarker of the autonomic balance in the regulatory mechanisms of the circulatory system. In addition, these proteins can also be markers of the aging process, which increases the risks of developing autonomic dysfunction of the cardiovascular system (dominance of sympathicotonia) and changes in the quality of the tissue of the heart muscle and blood vessels, provoking the development of prenosological conditions and diseases of the cardiovascular system.