Preferential vascular-based transfer from vagina to the corpus but not to the tubal part of the uterus in postmenopausal women.
BACKGROUND
Vaginal administration of progesterone during infertility treatment has therapeutic advantages over oral administration. However, the reasons for this are poorly defined. To demonstrate a preferential vagina-to-uterus distribution of substances, we investigated cold distribution from vagina to the uterus and rectum.


METHODS
In 10 postmenopausal women, thermoprobes were inserted into the uterine cavity and in the rectum at <9 cm or at >9 cm from the anus; temperatures were subsequently measured during 10 min flushing of vagina with cold saline.


RESULTS
After 10 min, temperature decreased as follows: uterus, tubal angle: -0.22 +/- 0.07 degrees C, 10 (mean +/- SEM, n); uterus, middle cavity: -1.26 +/- 0.34 degrees C, 9; rectum, <9 cm insertion: -3.69 +/- 0.68 degrees C, 3; rectum, >9 cm insertion: -0.51 +/- 0.19 degrees C, 6.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite obviously different distances to the vagina of the uterine and the low rectal probes (<9 cm) the temperature decrease occurred at the same time. Cold transfer from vagina to the uterus and rectum is probably not the result of simple diffusion but of a vascular counter-current transfer. Differential cooling of corpus and tubal angles suggests a different arterial supply; while uterine corpus is supplied from the uterine artery, the tubal angles seem to be mainly supplied from the ovarian artery via the tubal arcade.
Einer-Jensen
N
N
Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Southern Denmark, Winsloewparken 21, DK-5000 Odense M, Denmark. n.einer-jensen@imbmed.sdu.dk
Cicinelli
E
E
Galantino
P
P
Pinto
V
V
Barba
B
B
D001158:Arteries; D001831:Body Temperature; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005187:Fallopian Tubes / Q000098:blood supply; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010053:Ovary / Q000098:blood supply; D017698:Postmenopause; D012007:Rectum / Q000098:blood supply; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D013821:Thermometers; D014599:Uterus / Q000098:blood supply*; D014621:Vagina / Q000098:blood supply*
D012965:Sodium Chloride