Uterine circulatory dysfunction induced by whole-body vibration and its endocrine pathogenesis in the pregnant rat

Effects of whole-body vibration on normal pregnancy were studied in the rat. Uterine blood flow and five endocrine functions corticosterone (CS), estradiol (E2), progesterone (P), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) concentration were measured in rats exposed to whole-body vibration with an acceleration of 10 m.s-2 at a frequency of 8 Hz. While no change in uterine blood flow was observed in control rats, uterine blood flow was significantly decreased 75 and 90 min after exposure to vibration. The uterine blood flow at 15 and 30 min was increased by pretreatment with intraperitoneal injections of angiotensin II (AII). In contrast, in AII pretreated rats exposed to the vibration, uterine blood flow was significantly reduced 90 min after exposure. The CS concentration was increased by vibration independently of the pretreatment with AII. Neither E2 nor PGF2 alpha concentration were changed by the vibration with or without AII administration. The P and PGE2 concentrations were both decreased by vibration in the absence of AII, while the decrease in PGE2 induced by the vibration was also found in AII-treated rats. The present results indicated that the pregnant rats subjected to whole-body vibration responded with changes in uterine and ovarian function. The observed decrease in uterine blood flow may have been the result of reduced PGE2 concentration resulting from an indirect effect of vibration.