Reproductive ability after uterine artery embolization in a sheep model: observation over 2 seasons.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the mid-term effect of uterine artery embolization (UAE) on fertility after bilateral UAE with either tris-acryl gelatin microspheres (TAGM) or gelatin particles (GP).


METHODS
Fertility was compared in 6 ewes that underwent UAE with TAGM, 6 ewes that underwent UAE with GP, and 6 control ewes. All ewes were artificially inseminated or naturally bred for 2 consecutive breeding seasons after UAE. Pregnancies in each breeding season were investigated.


RESULTS
Overall, 36 lambs, all normal in appearance, were delivered after 2 breeding seasons. All 18 ewes delivered lambs in at least the first or second breeding season, with 13 having lambs in both the first and second breeding seasons. In the first breeding season after UAE, all 12 ewes in the UAE group delivered lambs, while 5 (83.3%) of the 6 ewes in the control group did. In the second breeding season, 9 (90%) of the 10 ewes that were alive in the UAE group delivered lambs, while 5 (83.3%) of 6 ewes in the control group did. There were no significant differences in the rate of ewes delivering in the first and second breeding season between control and UAE groups (P = .3333; first season, P > .9999; second season, Fisher exact probability test).


CONCLUSIONS
The mid-term influence of UAE on reproductive ability in sheep was minimal.
Yamagami
Takuji
T
Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kajii, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamigyo, Kyoto, Japan. yamagami@koto.kpu-m.ac.jp
Yoshimatsu
Rika
R
Matsumoto
Tomohiro
T
Anzai
Hiroshi
H
Yoshizawa
Masahiro
M
Fukui
Yutaka
Y
Nishimura
Tsunehiko
T
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000502:physiology; D023421:Models, Animal; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011897:Random Allocation; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*; D012621:Seasons; D012756:Sheep; D055357:Uterine Artery Embolization / Q000379:methods