TY - JOUR
T1 - Uterine arterial vasoconstrictions mediated by ovarian nerves in virgin and postpartum rats
AU - Hutchison, Scot M.
AU - Tietz, Amy E.
AU - Trostel, Kendrick A.
AU - Schramm, Lawrence P.
PY - 1997
Y1 - 1997
N2 - In most mammals, including humans, pregnancy results in the loss of most uterine vasomotor fibers. These experiments determined whether, despite this denervation, sympathetic nerves mediated uterine vasoconstrictions in the rat 24 h after delivery. Both virgin and uniparous postpartum rats were anesthetized with urethan. Femoral vessels were cannulated for measurement of arterial pressure and intravenous administration of fluids and drugs. Blood flow was measured in a uterine artery after ligation of all anastomotic ovarian vessels. Electrical stimulation of ovarian nerve efferents elicited frequency-dependent uterine vasoconstrictions in both virgin and postpartum rats. Vasoconstrictions in postpartum rats were not significantly different from those observed in virgins. In both virgin and postpartum rats, neurogenic vasoconstrictions were reduced by combined α1- and α2- adrenergic blockade. We conclude that the uterine branches of the ovarian nerve mediate adrenergic uterine vasoconstrictions. In the largely denervated uterus of the postpartum rat, these vasoconstrictions may be mediated by surviving innervation of the uterine artery and its major branches. Sympathetic vasoconstriction acting at these sites would constitute an effective defense against postpartum hemorrhage.
AB - In most mammals, including humans, pregnancy results in the loss of most uterine vasomotor fibers. These experiments determined whether, despite this denervation, sympathetic nerves mediated uterine vasoconstrictions in the rat 24 h after delivery. Both virgin and uniparous postpartum rats were anesthetized with urethan. Femoral vessels were cannulated for measurement of arterial pressure and intravenous administration of fluids and drugs. Blood flow was measured in a uterine artery after ligation of all anastomotic ovarian vessels. Electrical stimulation of ovarian nerve efferents elicited frequency-dependent uterine vasoconstrictions in both virgin and postpartum rats. Vasoconstrictions in postpartum rats were not significantly different from those observed in virgins. In both virgin and postpartum rats, neurogenic vasoconstrictions were reduced by combined α1- and α2- adrenergic blockade. We conclude that the uterine branches of the ovarian nerve mediate adrenergic uterine vasoconstrictions. In the largely denervated uterus of the postpartum rat, these vasoconstrictions may be mediated by surviving innervation of the uterine artery and its major branches. Sympathetic vasoconstriction acting at these sites would constitute an effective defense against postpartum hemorrhage.
KW - adrenoreceptors
KW - hemorrhage
KW - pregnancy
KW - sympathetic vasoconstriction
KW - uterine arterial blood flow
KW - uterine nerve
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U2 - 10.1152/ajpregu.1997.272.1.r318
DO - 10.1152/ajpregu.1997.272.1.r318
M3 - Article
C2 - 9039024
AN - SCOPUS:0031016408
SN - 0363-6119
VL - 272
SP - R318-R325
JO - American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology
JF - American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology
IS - 1 41-1
ER -