Breast stimulation contraction stress test: uterine contractions in the absence of oxytocin release.
The contraction stress test has been widely used to manage high-risk pregnancies. Breast-stimulated uterine contractions have been assumed to be mediated through oxytocin release. We studied 20 women undergoing a breast-stimulated contraction stress test. There was no significant increase in plasma oxytocin levels during this study in either test responders or nonresponders. These results suggest that the presence of a breast stimulation-uterine contraction reflex is not mediated by oxytocin.
D001940:Breast / Q000294:innervation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D011247:Pregnancy; D012018:Reflex / Q000502:physiology*; D014590:Uterine Contraction
D010121:Oxytocin