Prostaglandin F-2 alpha is transferred from the uterus to the ovary in the sheep by lymphatic and blood vascular pathways.
[3H]Prostaglandin F-2 alpha (PGF-2 alpha) was infused into a uterine lymphatic vessel or a uterine vein for up to 1 h, or injected into the uterine lumen of anaesthetized non-pregnant sheep 7-15 days after oestrus. After an intraluminal injection, labelled PGF-2 alpha was recovered in uterine lymph and peak radioactivity was reached 50 min after injection. [3H]PGF-2 alpha infused at a constant rate into a uterine lymphatic vessel resulted in a maximum concentration of radioactivity in plasma which was 5.6- and 1.7-fold higher in the adjacent utero-ovarian and ovarian vein, respectively, than in carotid arterial plasma. Estimation of the amount of infusate transferred from a lymphatic into ovarian venous blood gave a value (0.4%) similar to that for transfer from a uterine vein (0.3%). Evidence for local transfer was substantiated by the presence of significantly higher concentrations of 3H-labelled compounds in the ovary and corpus luteum adjacent to the site of intra-lymphatic infusion compared with those in the opposite organs. The concentrations in the adjacent ovary and corpus luteum were significantly greater when an intra-lymphatic rather than intra-uterine vein infusion was adopted. The results show that [3H]PGF-2 alpha is transferred locally from uterine lymphatic vessels into the adjacent ovary, corpus luteum and ovarian vein.
D000818:Animals; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000502:physiology; D015237:Dinoprost; D004971:Estrus; D005260:Female; D008208:Lymphatic System / Q000502:physiology*; D010053:Ovary / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D011460:Prostaglandins F / Q000502:physiology*; D012756:Sheep; D014599:Uterus / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*
D011460:Prostaglandins F; D015237:Dinoprost