Journal of Veterinary Science

  • 제25권3호
  • /
  • Pages.24.1-24.9
  • /
  • 2024
  • /
  • 1229-845X(pISSN)
  • /
  • 1976-555X(eISSN)
대한수의학회 (The Korean Society of Veterinary Science)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Effect of humidity on postmortem changes in rats

  • Seroc Oh (College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University) ;
  • Byeongwoo Ahn (College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University) ;
  • Beom Jun Lee (College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University) ;
  • Sang-Yoon Nam (College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University)
  • 투고 : 2024.01.07
  • 심사 : 2024.02.06
  • 발행 : 2024.05.31
PDF 다운로드
⟨ 이전 논문 다음 논문 ⟩

초록

Importance: In veterinary forensic science, accurately determining the postmortem interval (PMI) is crucial for identifying the causes of animal deaths. Autolysis, a significant postmortem process, influences PMI estimation, but its relationship with humidity is not well understood. Objective: This study aimed to improve the accuracy of PMI estimates in veterinary forensic cases by looking into how different humidity levels affect autolysis in different organs of rats. Methods: The study involved 38 male rats, examining histopathological changes in their heart, liver, and pancreas. These organs were subjected to controlled humidity levels (20%, 55%, and 80%) at a constant 22℃. Tissue samples were collected at several intervals (0 h, 12 h, 24 h, 3 days, and 8 days) for comprehensive analysis. Results: Distinct autolytic characteristics in animal organs emerged under varying humidity conditions. The low-humidity environment rapidly activated autolysis more than the high-humidity environment. In addition, it was found that lower humidity caused nuclear pyknosis, cytoplasmic disintegration, and myofiber interruption. The liver, in particular, showed portal triad aggregation and hepatocyte individuation. The pancreas experienced cell fragmentation and an enlarged intracellular space. High humidity also caused the loss of striations in cardiac tissues, and the liver showed vacuolation. Under these conditions, the pancreas changed eosinophilic secretory granules. Conclusions and Relevance: The study successfully established a clear connection between the autolytic process in PMIs and relative humidity. These findings are significant for developing a more accurate and predictable method for PMI estimation in the field of veterinary forensic science.

키워드

과제정보

I would like to express my gratitude to Stattee for their assistance with the statistical analysis during the research process. Additionally, I would like to thank Soyeon Kim for their support throughout this study.

참고문헌

  1. Zhou C, Byard RW. Factors and processes causing accelerated decomposition in human cadavers - an overview. J Forensic Leg Med. 2011;18(1):6-9.
  2. Cocariu EA, Mageriu V, Staniceanu F, Bastian A, Socoliuc C, Zurac S. Correlations between the autolytic changes and postmortem interval in refrigerated cadavers. Rom J Intern Med. 2016;54(2):105-112.
  3. Hostiuc S, Rusu MC, Manoiu VS, Vrapciu AD, Negoi I, Popescu MV. Usefulness of ultrastructure studies for the estimation of the postmortem interval. A systematic review. Rom J Morphol Embryol. 2017;58(2):377-384. 
  4. Sakr MF, El-Khalek AMA, Mohammad NS, Abouhashem NS, Gaballah MH, Ragab HM. Estimation of postmortem interval using histological and oxidative biomarkers in human bone marrow. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2023. Epub ahead of print. doi: 10.1007/s12024-023-00753-9.
  5. Furnesvik L, Erkinharju T, Hansen M, Yousaf MN, Seternes T. Evaluation of histological post-mortem changes in farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) at different time intervals and storage temperatures. J Fish Dis. 2022;45(10):1571-1580.
  6. Santoriello D, Khairallah P, Bomback AS, Xu K, Kudose S, Batal I, et al. Postmortem kidney pathology findings in patients with COVID-19. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2020;31(9):2158-2167.
  7. Wenzlow N, Neal D, Stern AW, Prakoso D, Liu JJ, Delcambre GH, et al. Feasibility of using tissue autolysis to estimate the postmortem interval in horses. J Vet Diagn Invest. 2021;33(5):825-833.
  8. Janssen W, Forster S. Forensic Histopathology: Autolysis and Putrefaction. Heidelberg: Springer Berlin, Heidelberg; 1984, p 14. 
  9. Zissler A, Stoiber W, Steinbacher P, Geissenberger J, Monticelli FC, Pittner S. Postmortem protein degradation as a tool to estimate the PMI: a systematic review. Diagnostics (Basel). 2020;10(12):1014.
  10. Dernby KG. A study on autolysis of animal tissues. J Biol Chem. 1918;35(2):179-219.
  11. Goldstone A, Koenig H. Autolysis of glycoproteins in rat kidney lysosomes in vitro. Effects on the isoelectric focusing behaviour of glycoproteins, arylsulphatase and β-glucuronidase. Biochem J. 1974;141(2):527-535.
  12. Ammendolia DA, Bement WM, Brumell JH. Plasma membrane integrity: implications for health and disease. BMC Biol. 2021;19(1):71.
  13. Moloi SJ, Ngara R. The roles of plant proteases and protease inhibitors in drought response: a review. Front Plant Sci (Lausanne). 2023;14:1165845.
  14. Kislukhina OV, Kuznetsova TA, Aksenovskaia VE. Effect of regulators on bacterial autolysis. Mikrobiologiia. 1982;51(1):85-89.
  15. Burch GE, Tsui CY, Harb JM. Postmortem changes in the rat myocardium. A histologic and electron microscopic study. Pathol Microbiol (Basel). 1972;38(4):233-249.
  16. Schulte MD, Hochmuth KG, Steadham EM, Lonergan SM, Hansen SL, Huff-Lonergan EJ. Early postmortem muscle proteome and metabolome of beef longissimus thoracis muscle classified by pH at 6 hours postmortem. J Proteomics. 2023;271:104756.
  17. Liu R, Lonergan S, Steadham E, Zhou G, Zhang W, Huff-Lonergan E. Effect of nitric oxide and calpastatin on the inhibition of µ-calpain activity, autolysis and proteolysis of myofibrillar proteins. Food Chem. 2019;275:77-84.
  18. Erlandsson M, Munro R. Estimation of the post-mortem interval in beagle dogs. Sci Justice. 2007;47(4):150-154.
  19. Ceciliason AS, Andersson MG, Nyberg S, Sandler H. Histological quantification of decomposed human livers: a potential aid for estimation of the post-mortem interval? Int J Legal Med. 2021;135(1):253-267.
  20. Huang X, Xiong G, Chen X, Liu R, Li M, Ji L, et al. Autolysis in crustacean tissues after death: a case study using the Procambarus clarkii hepatopancreas. BioMed Res Int. 2021;2021:2345878.
  21. Khalifa FN, Hosny SA, Moawad AM. Histobiochemical changes in early postmortem interval in liver, pancreas, skin and kidney of adult male albino rats. Rechtsmedizin. 2022;32(5):374-385.
  22. Cross RF, Kohler EM. Autolytic changes in the digestive system of germfree, Escherichia coli monocontaminated, and conventional baby pigs. Can J Comp Med. 1969;33(2):108-112.
  23. Brooks JW. Postmortem changes in animal carcasses and estimation of the postmortem interval. Vet Pathol. 2016;53(5):929-940.