Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38182631›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2024

Pregnancy-induced remodeling of the murine reproductive tract: a longitudinal in vivo magnetic resonance imaging study.

Aileen C Suarez, Clara J Gimenez, Serena R Russell, Maosen Wang, Jennifer M Munson, Kristin M Myers, Kristin S Miller, Steven D Abramowitch, Raffaella De Vita

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
5.0field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Biomechanical function of the murine cervix with elastic fiber deficiency.Journal of the mechanical behavior of biomedical materials · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Aileen C SuarezSTRETCH Lab, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, 325 Stanger Street, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
Clara J GimenezSTRETCH Lab, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, 325 Stanger Street, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
Serena R RussellDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, 234 S W. Mudd, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
Maosen WangFralin Biomedical Research Institute, Virginia Tech, 4 Riverside Circle,, Roanoke, VA, 24016, USA.
Jennifer M MunsonFralin Biomedical Research Institute, Virginia Tech, 4 Riverside Circle,, Roanoke, VA, 24016, USA.
Kristin M MyersDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, 234 S W. Mudd, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
Kristin S MillerDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 W. Campbell Road, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA.
Steven D AbramowitchDepartment of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, 3700 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA.
Raffaella De VitaSTRETCH Lab, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, 325 Stanger Street, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA. devita@vt.edu.
Virginia Tech · USColumbia University · USBiomedical Research Institute · USThe University of Texas at Dallas · USUniversity of Pittsburgh · US

Funding

VT Initiative for Maximizing Student DiversityR25GM072767 · NIGMS · VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INST AND ST UNIV · PI SMITH, EDWARD J · 2007 to 2021
$6.9M
NIGMS NIH HHS R25 GM072767NSF 2053851
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Mammalian pregnancy requires gradual yet extreme remodeling of the reproductive organs to support the growth of the embryos and their birth. After delivery, the reproductive organs return to their non-pregnant state. As pregnancy has traditionally been understudied, there are many unknowns pertaining to the mechanisms behind this remarkable remodeling and repair process which, when not successful, can lead to pregnancy-related complications such as maternal trauma, pre-term birth, and pelvic floor disorders. This study presents the first longitudinal imaging data that focuses on revealing anatomical alterations of the vagina, cervix, and uterine horns during pregnancy and postpartum using the mouse model. By utilizing advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology, T1-weighted and T2-weighted images of the reproductive organs of three mice in their in vivo environment were collected at five time points: non-pregnant, mid-pregnant (gestation day: 9-10), late pregnant (gestation day: 16-17), postpartum (24-72 h after delivery) and three weeks postpartum. Measurements of the vagina, cervix, and uterine horns were taken by analyzing MRI segmentations of these organs. The cross-sectional diameter, length, and volume of the vagina increased in late pregnancy and then returned to non-pregnant values three weeks after delivery. The cross-sectional diameter of the cervix decreased at mid-pregnancy before increasing in late pregnancy. The volume of the cervix peaked at late pregnancy before shortening by 24-72 h postpartum. As expected, the uterus increased in cross-sectional diameter, length, and volume during pregnancy. The uterine horns decreased in size postpartum, ultimately returning to their average non-pregnant size three weeks postpartum. The newly developed methods for acquiring longitudinal in vivo MRI scans of the murine reproductive system can be extended to future studies that evaluate functional and morphological alterations of this system due to pathologies, interventions, and treatments.

Indexed as

Magnetic Resonance ImagingUterusAnimalsFemaleHumansMammalsMicePostpartum PeriodPregnancyResearch DesignVagina

Identifiers

PMID38182631
PMCPMC10770079
OpenAlexW4390613730

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.