Uterine vascular permeability, blood flow and extracellular fluid space during implantation in rats.
Vascular permeability to plasma proteins in uterine implantation and non-implantation sites (i.e. dye sites and non-dye sites) was assessed quantitatively by a method which accounts for steady-state volumes of distribution. Extracellular fluid volume and uterine blood flow were also determined. On both the evening of Day 5 and the morning of Day 6, vascular permeability to 125I-labelled human serum albumin, extracellular fluid volume and blood flow were significantly increased in implantation sites compared to non-implantation sites. Vascular permeability in implantation sites was increased significantly between Days 5 and 6, whereas that in non-implantation sites was unchanged. This increase in vascular permeability between Days 5 and 6 was not accompanied by further increases in extracellular fluid volume and blood flow. This result shows a dissociation between vascular permeability and extracellular fluid volume immediately after the onset of implantation and raises important questions as to whether the rat uterus undergoes a truly oedematous response at implantation as has been generally accepted.
McRae
A C
AC
Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics Research, Cambridge Research Station, U.K.
Heap
R B
RB
D000818:Animals; D002199:Capillary Permeability; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D051381:Rats / Q000502:physiology*; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism; D014599:Uterus / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*
D012709:Serum Albumin