Hormonal influence on utero-ovarian blood flow distribution in the mid-luteal pseudopregnant rat

Uterine and ovarian blood flows and ovarian fractional perfusion were measured in adult rats anaesthetized with sodium pentobarbital i.p. on day 6 of pseudopregnancy, by using radioactive microspheres. Fifty i.u. human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) was found to increase the fractional perfusion of the ovary, and this was at least partially accomplished at the expense of the uterine blood flow, since this was reduced. Noradrenaline (NA) infusion (2 nmol min-1) reduced ovarian as well as uterine blood flow acutely. After 20 min of NA infusion (2 nmol min-1), however, ovarian blood flow and fractional perfusion were increased, while no significant effect was seen for uterine blood flow. Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) in a 20-min infusion (1 nmol min-1) markedly reduced ovarian and uterine blood flows.