Contractility of the nonpregnant uterus: the follicular phase

Dominique de Ziegler, D. de Ziegler, de Ziegler D, Bulletti C, Carlo Bulletti, C Bulletti, Rénato Fanchin, R Fanchin, Fanchin R, Epiney M, Manuella Epiney, M Epiney, P. A. Brioschi, Brioschi PA
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · 2001 · vol. 943(1) , pp. 172–184 · doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.2001.tb03801.x · PMID:11594539 · W1538094356
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This review summarizes uterine contractility patterns during the menstrual cycle and their physiological roles in sperm transport and potential implications in conditions like dysmenorrhea and endometriosis.

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Abstract

Recent renewed interest in uterine contractility stems from the possibility of directly visualizing uterine contractility on images generated by high-resolution ultrasound probes. During the menstrual cycle, three typical patterns of uterine contractility have been recognized. During the luteofollicular transition and early follicular phase (menses), the contractile event involves all layers of the myometrium and exerts antegrade (from fundus to cervix) expulsive forces. Characteristically, uterine contractions are often perceived by women at the time of menses, sometimes reaching the level of painful cramps (dysmenorrhea). In the late follicular phase, uterine contractility involves only the subendometrial layers of the myometrium and is never perceived by women. The primary function of uterine contractility in the late follicular phase is to facilitate the retrograde (cervix to fundus) transport of sperm towards the distal end of the fallopian tubes where fertilization normally takes place. Finally, the uterus reaches a stage of quiescence after ovulation (under the influence of progesterone) that characterizes the major part of the luteal phase. The present review summarizes our understanding of the physiological role of uterine contractility during the follicular phase and the possible implications in pathological circumstances such as endometriosis and dysmenorrhea.

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Condition tags

endometriosisdysmenorrhea

MeSH descriptors

Follicular Phase Uterine Contraction Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Female Follicular Phase Follicular Phase Humans Humans Luteal Phase Luteal Phase Luteal Phase Uterine Contraction Uterine Contraction Uterus Uterus Uterus

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Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. Outer rings show 2-hop neighbours — papers reached through the immediate citers/citees. [ collapse to 1-hop ]

References (18)

Cited by (27)

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License: CC0 · commercial use OK