Fig. 2.

Cervical-end ligation of main uterine artery (MUA) + main uterine vein (MUV) induces significant expansive remodeling of both arteries and veins at the ovarian end in late pregnant (LP) rats (n = 14). A: unstressed MUV diameters at the ovarian versus cervical ends showed enlargement (outward remodeling) of the vein at the ovarian end and inward remodeling at the cervical end, where flow volumes would be maximal and minimal, respectively. B: ovarian-end MUA diameters in the ligated horn increased significantly in both unstressed and pressurized conditions. C and D: wall thickness and wall-to-lumen ratio of the ovarian-end MUA did not change after vascular ligation in either the unstressed or pressurized conditions. E: cross-sectional area was significantly increased in the unstressed (P < 0.05) but not pressurized (P = 0.057 at 90 mmHg) condition because of the larger lumen diameter and is indicative of outward (expansive) hypertrophic remodeling. F: effect of ligation on the circumferential wall stress vs. strain relationship in ovarian-end MUAs. G: stiffness coefficients (β) calculated for ovarian-end MUAs from control versus ligated horns were not different (P > 0.05). *P < 0.05.