1
|
Ibrahim MA, Mohammed SS, Tammam HG, Ibrahim Abdel-Karim R, Farag MM. Histopathological, histochemical and biochemical postmortem changes in induced fatal hypothermia in rats. Forensic Sci Res 2021; 7:211-227. [PMID: 35784407 PMCID: PMC9246044 DOI: 10.1080/20961790.2021.1886656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Reaching a postmortem diagnosis of hypothermia is challenging in forensic practice. Therefore, this study was conducted to detect the histopathological, histochemical and biochemical changes that occur in adult albino rats following exposure to induced fatal hypothermia. Twenty-four adult albino rats were divided into the negative control, moderate hypothermia, severe hypothermia and hypoxia groups. Rats in the control group were euthanized when those in the moderate hypothermic group died. Blood samples were collected via heart puncture, and the cerebrum, heart, suprarenal gland, kidney, liver and skeletal muscle were removed to investigate the biochemical, histochemical and histopathological changes. Postmortem assessment depicted significant changes in lipid peroxidation, represented by increased malondialdehyde levels in the studied organs of the rats in hypothermic and hypoxia groups. Histopathological examination of the rats’ organs revealed degeneration and necrosis in the hypothermia and hypoxia groups. Sections taken from the severe hypothermic rats revealed a loss of normal cardiac tissue architecture, necrotic changes in the pyramidal cells in the cerebral cortex, and massive necrosis, mainly in the tubules of the renal cortex and medulla. These findings suggest that histological changes might be used as biochemical markers for postmortem diagnosing of fatal hypothermia, particularly in severe hypothermic conditions.Key points Death by hypothermia is a serious public health problem worldwide. Confirming a diagnosis and determining the cause of death in cases of hypothermia are among the most difficult practices in forensic medicine. Death by hypothermia might be associated with structural abnormalities in various organs. Studies using different tissue staining techniques will enable an overall illustration of the role of histopathological changes in body organs as indicators of hypothermia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mahrous Abdelbasset Ibrahim
- Forensic Medicine & Clinical Toxicology, College of Medicine, Jouf University, Sakakah, Saudi Arabia
- Forensic Medicine & Clinical Toxicology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - Sally Salem Mohammed
- Histology and Cell Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - Hany Goda Tammam
- Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Rehab Ibrahim Abdel-Karim
- Forensic Medicine & Clinical Toxicology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - Medhat Mohammed Farag
- Medical biochemistry Department, College of Medicine, Shaqra University, Shaqraa, Saudi Arabia
- Medical Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Benha, Egypt
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Lin H, Guo X, Luo Y, Chen Y, Zhao R, Guan D, Wang Z, Huang P. Postmortem Diagnosis of Fatal Hypothermia by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopic Analysis of Edema Fluid in Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Lung Tissues. J Forensic Sci 2019; 65:846-854. [PMID: 31868923 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.14260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Revised: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The goal of this study was to investigate whether pulmonary edema could become a specific diagnostic marker for fatal hypothermia using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy in combination with chemometrics. The spectral profile analysis indicated that hypothermia fatalities associated with pulmonary edema fluid contained more β-sheet protein conformational structures than the control causes of death, which included sudden cardiac death, brain injury, cerebrovascular disease, mechanical asphyxiation, intoxication, and drowning. Subsequently, the results of principal component analysis (PCA) further revealed that the content of β-sheet protein conformational structures in the pulmonary edema fluid was the main discriminatory marker between fatal hypothermia and the other causes of death. Ultimately, a robust postmortem diagnostic model for fatal hypothermia using a partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) algorithm was constructed. Pulmonary edema fluid spectra collected from eight new forensic autopsy cases that did not participate in the construction of the diagnostic model were predicted using the model. The results showed the causes of death of all these eight cases were correctly classified. In conclusion, this preliminary study demonstrates that FTIR spectroscopy in combination with chemometrics could be a promising approach for the postmortem diagnosis of fatal hypothermia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hancheng Lin
- Department of Forensic Pathology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Forensic Service Platform, Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai, 200063, China
| | - Xiangshen Guo
- Forensic Medicine School, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, China
| | - Yiwen Luo
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Forensic Service Platform, Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai, 200063, China
| | - Yijiu Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Forensic Service Platform, Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai, 200063, China
| | - Rui Zhao
- Forensic Medicine School, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, China
| | - Dawei Guan
- Forensic Medicine School, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, China
| | - Zhenyuan Wang
- Department of Forensic Pathology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Ping Huang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Forensic Service Platform, Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai, 200063, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Changes in Surface Charge Density of Blood Cells in Fatal Accidental Hypothermia. J Membr Biol 2015; 248:1175-80. [PMID: 26364031 PMCID: PMC4611003 DOI: 10.1007/s00232-015-9838-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2015] [Accepted: 09/04/2015] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this research was to evaluate postmortem changes concerning electric charge of human erythrocytes and thrombocytes in fatal accidental hypothermia. The surface charge density values were determined on the basis of the electrophoretic mobility measurements of the cells conducted at various pH values of electrolyte solution. The surface charge of erythrocyte membranes after fatal accidental hypothermia increased compared to the control group within whole range of experimental pH values. Moreover, a slight shift of the isoelectric point of erythrocyte membranes towards high pH values was observed. The surface charge of thrombocyte membranes in fatal accidental hypothermia decreased at low pH compared to the control group. However, at pH range 4-9, the values increased compared to the control group. The isoelectric point of thrombocyte membranes after fatal accidental hypothermia was slightly shifted towards low pH values compared to the control group. The observed changes are probably connected with the partial destruction and functional changes of the blood cell structure.
Collapse
|
4
|
Biochemical markers of fatal hypothermia. Forensic Sci Int 2013; 226:54-61. [DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2012.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2012] [Revised: 10/30/2012] [Accepted: 12/02/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
|
5
|
Postmortem biochemical investigations in hypothermia fatalities. Int J Legal Med 2012; 127:267-76. [DOI: 10.1007/s00414-012-0738-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2012] [Accepted: 06/26/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
|
6
|
Wang Q, Ishikawa T, Michiue T, Zhu BL, Guan DW, Maeda H. Evaluation of human brain damage in fatalities due to extreme environmental temperature by quantification of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), S100β and single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) immunoreactivities. Forensic Sci Int 2012; 219:259-64. [DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2012.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2011] [Revised: 11/14/2011] [Accepted: 01/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|