Is knowledge of the pattern of electrical activity in the pregnant uterus helpful to our understanding of uterine function? Focus on 'Patterns of electrical propagation in the intact pregnant guinea pig uterus' by Lammers et al.

摘要

It was also suggested by clinical studies accomplished by Cadeyro-Barcia et al. (3) many years ago that contractility of the uterus begins in the upper fundal region of the uterus and is conducted toward the cervix. The study conducted by Lammers et al. (10) shows that electrical activity can originate in either the ovarian or cervical end of the uterus and that propagation in either direction (i.e., toward the ovary or toward the cervix) does not affect the velocity. However, the authors indicate that initial activity occurs most often in the ovarian end (corresponding to fundus in humans). Clearly more studies on the origin and directionality of the signals are needed, and some consideration of pacemaker activity might be obtained.