BLOOD FLOW AND OXYGEN CONSUMPTION OF THE UTERUS OF THE NON-PREGNANT EWE

¹ Department of Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut and the Department of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts

Observations on the coefficient of oxygen utilization of the uterus have been made for periods of days and weeks in a series of ‘unstressed’ non-pregnant ewes by means of indwelling catheters in an artery and the uterine vein. They indicate that the rate of oxygen transport to the uterus with respect to its oxygen consumption varies over a wide range. The two rates (ml./kg./min.) were estimated in twenty ‘unstressed’ ewes that had been divided into three groups on the basis of the appearance of the ovaries and uterus at laparotomy 2 or 3 days earlier. In ten ewes, at least one ovary contained a large protruding corpus luteum (Group I); in three, one ovary contained one or more large follicles (Group II) whereas in seven the ovaries lacked either of these distinguishing features (Group III). The average rates of uterine blood flow and oxygen consumption in these three groups were 119 and 5·26; 540·6 and 5·0 and 267·4 and 5·4 respectively.

Note:

This investigation was aided by Grants from the National Institutes of Health (HD 02300-07 and HD 02345-09) and the Association for the Aid of Crippled Children.