Effect of regulatory peptides on the blood flow rate in rabbit female genital tract evaluated by the 133Xe technique.

The 133Xe washout method has been evaluated and found to be a reliable method for the measurement of myometrial as well as ovarian blood flow rates in the rabbit. Monoexponential washout curves for 133Xe have been demonstrated for the whole washout process, both in the uterus and the ovary. Consequently it is possible to calculate the blood flow rate at any time interval during the whole washout process. This 133Xe washout technique has been used for the evaluation of the biological effect of neuropeptides on the local blood flow within the rabbit uterus and ovary. It has been recognized for years that the intrinsic control of a number of functions, including the blood flow regulation, in the genital tract cannot be attributed to cholinergic and/or adrenergic nerves alone. Evidence from 133Xe experiments suggests that the neuropeptides in the female genital tract may play a functional role in these non cholinergic non adrenergic events.