title: The effect of bilateral pelvic neurectomy on cervical ripening in pregnant rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effect of bilateral pelvic neurectomy (BPN) on cervical ripening in pregnant rats by measuring cervical extensibility and changes in collagen cross-linkages.
  
  
  METHODS
  Timed-pregnant rats were randomly laparotomized on days 9 or 10 of gestation and the pelvic nerves were exposed and either bilaterally transected, or left intact in sham control animals. The rats were sacrificed on day 18 and the uterine cervices obtained. Cervical ripening was assessed by cervical resistance-to-stretch, light-induced autofluorescence (LIF) of cross-linked collagen, and collagen changes analyzed by picrosirius polarization microscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Measurements of extensibility and collagen cross-linkages indicated that after BPN the cervix was significantly more ripened than the cervix from sham control animals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BPN stimulates cervical ripening instead of inhibiting this event as previously proposed. Further studies in this area could be critical for developing treatments for dystocia, preterm labor, and cervical insufficiency.
authors.affiliation: Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Lynette B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Mackay
authors.forename: Leili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maul
authors.forename: William L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Maner
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Garfield
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020070:Cervical Ripening / Q000502:physiology*; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000294:innervation*; D003094:Collagen / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D010388:Pelvis / Q000294:innervation*; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000502:physiology* / Q000601:surgery; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D013718:Tensile Strength / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen