[en] The theoretical ambiguity in the nuclear charge distribution due to the effect of the scattering of an exchanged virtual photon in the nuclear many-body system providing a source of repulsive force on the orbiting muon in a muonic atom is investigated. The effect on the muonic levels is estimated for ⁹⁰Zr, ¹⁷³Yb and ²⁰⁸Pb by taking account of the proton particle-hole excitation in an explicit nuclear model. Expected energy shifts between low-lying levels are found to be sizable, e.g. in ²⁰⁸Pb the 2psub(1/2) 1ssub(1/2) transition is shifted by - 596 eV and the 3dsub(5/2)→2psub(3/2) transition by - 387 eV. (auth.)