High blood pressure affects rodent clitoral and vaginal morphology
Trichinellosis-October 14, 2002
“We evaluated possible morphological alteration in clitoris and vagina from spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive WKY rats. Clitoris and vagina were processed by Masson’s trichrome, anti-alpha-smooth-muscle actin, anticollagen type I (COL I) and type III (COL III), and anti-transforming growth factor (TGFbeta1),” researchers in Argentina wrote.
“SHR presented higher amount of clitoral cavernous smooth muscle (CSM), vascular smooth muscle; TGFbeta1 in clitoral vessel wall; higher wall/lumen ratio in both vaginal and clitoral vessels; and remarkable interstitial fibrosis, expressed by a higher amount in interstitial COL I and III in both clitoris and vagina, compared to WKY rats,” reported A. J. Bechara and colleagues, Hospital Aleman, Laboratory of Experimental Medicine.
“Nerve fibers from clitoral and vaginal tissue in SHR showed important fibrosis at perineurium. SHR showed positive correlation between systolic blood pressure (SBP) and clitoral CSM; SBP and fibrosis in clitoris; and SBP and COL I and III in clitoris, respectively. Similar findings were observed between SBP and COL I and III in vagina.”
“In conclusion, SHR present morphologic changes in clitoral vessels as well as in clitoral cavernous space, which have a high positive correlation with the high blood pressure level. Moreover, the increase in extracellular matrix affects not only the clitoral and vaginal interstitium but also the nerve structures from both clitoris and vagina,” Bechara and coworkers advised.
Bechara and colleagues published the results of their research in International Journal of Impotence Research (Morphological modifications in clitoris and vagina in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Int J Impot Res, 2003;15(3):166-172).
For additional information, contact J.E. Toblli, CONICET, Hospital Aleman, Experimental Med Laboratory, Av Pueyrredon 1640, RA-1118 Buenos Aires, DF, Argentina.
The information in this article comes under the major subject areas of , Hypertension, Cardiology, and Gynecology. This article was prepared by Women’s Health Weekly editors from staff and other reports.
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