Administration of Essential Phospholipids Prevents Drosophila Melanogaster Oocytes from Responding to Change in Gravity

The aim of this study was to prevent initial changes in <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> oocytes under simulated weightlessness and hypergravity at the 2 g level. Phospholipids with polyunsaturated fatty acids in the tail groups (essential phospholipids) at a concentration of 500 mg/kg of nutrient medium were used as a protective agent. Cell stiffness was determined using atomic force microscopy, the change in the oocytes' area was assessed as a mark of deformation, and the contents of cholesterol and neutral lipids were determined using fluorescence microscopy. The results indicate that the administration of essential phospholipids leads to a decrease in the cholesterol content in the oocytes' membranes by 13% (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The stiffness of oocytes from flies that received essential phospholipids was 14% higher (<i>p</i> < 0.05) and did not change during 6 h of simulated weightlessness or hypergravity, and neither did the area, which indicates their resistance to deformation. Moreover, the exposure to simulated weightlessness and hypergravity of oocytes from flies that received a standard nutrient medium led to a more intense loss of cholesterol from cell membranes after 30 min by 13% and 18% (<i>p</i> < 0.05), respectively, compared to the control, but essential phospholipids prevented this effect.