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Guardado-Estrada M, Cárdenas-Monroy CA, Martínez-Rivera V, Cortez F, Pedraza-Lara C, Millan-Catalan O, Pérez-Plasencia C. A miRNome analysis at the early postmortem interval. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15409. [PMID: 37304870 PMCID: PMC10257396 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The postmortem interval (PMI) is the time elapsing since the death of an individual until the body is examined. Different molecules have been analyzed to better estimate the PMI with variable results. The miRNAs draw attention in the forensic field to estimate the PMI as they can better support degradation. In the present work, we analyzed the miRNome at early PMI in rats' skeletal muscle using the Affymetrix GeneChip™ miRNA 4.0 microarrays. We found 156 dysregulated miRNAs in rats' skeletal muscle at 24 h of PMI, out of which 84 were downregulated, and 72 upregulated. The miRNA most significantly downregulated was miR-139-5p (FC = -160, p = 9.97 × 10-11), while the most upregulated was rno-miR-92b-5p (FC = 241.18, p = 2.39 × 10-6). Regarding the targets of these dysregulated miRNAs, the rno-miR-125b-5p and rno-miR-138-5p were the miRNAs with more mRNA targets. The mRNA targets that we found in the present study participate in several biological processes such as interleukin secretion regulation, translation regulation, cell growth, or low oxygen response. In addition, we found a downregulation of SIRT1 mRNA and an upregulation of TGFBR2 mRNA at 24 h of PMI. These results suggest there is an active participation of miRNAs at early PMI which could be further explored to identify potential biomarkers for PMI estimation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariano Guardado-Estrada
- Laboratorio de Genética, Ciencia Forense, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Christian A. Cárdenas-Monroy
- Laboratorio de Genética, Ciencia Forense, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Vanessa Martínez-Rivera
- Laboratorio de Genética, Ciencia Forense, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Fernanda Cortez
- Computational Genomics Division, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica (INMEGEN), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Carlos Pedraza-Lara
- Laboratorio de Entomología, Ciencia Forense, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Oliver Millan-Catalan
- Unidad de Investigación Biomédica en Cáncer, Laboratorio de Genómica, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Carlos Pérez-Plasencia
- Unidad de Investigación Biomédica en Cáncer, Laboratorio de Genómica, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Mexico City, Mexico
- Unidad de Investigación Biomédica en Cáncer, Laboratorio de Genómica, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
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S Kurup S, Bharathi M, Narayan G, R V, R R, Suvvari TK. Estimation of Time Since Death From Potassium Levels in Vitreous Humor in Cases of Unnatural Death: A Facility-Based Cross-Sectional Study. Cureus 2023; 15:e39572. [PMID: 37378257 PMCID: PMC10292726 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.39572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Estimation of time since death/postmortem interval (PMI) forms a crucial component for all autopsy surgeons. With the subjectivity that is prevalent with conventional morphological and physical signs of death, newer-age modalities such as chemical analysis provide better precision. The easy accessibility and the resistance to putrefaction make vitreous humor the best choice for such chemical analysis. Thus, the present study's aim is to estimate the time since death in cases of unnatural death by investigating the potassium level changes in the vitreous humor. Methodology This is a facility-based cross-sectional study conducted in the mortuary under the Department of Forensic Medicine in a public tertiary healthcare teaching hospital in South India between August and September 2022. Deceased individuals fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria were recruited in the study. Vitreous samples were collected from a single eye and analyzed using an autoanalyzer for potassium values. After due derivations, postmortem intervals were calculated from potassium values, then they were compared with the PMIs estimated using physical signs and those determined using official police records. Data were entered using MS Excel 20 (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington) and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 20 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Results Of the 100 deceased individuals included in the study, 68% were men, and the majority (24%) belonged to the age group of 53-62 years. A linear relationship is said to exist between vitreous potassium concentration and postmortem interval. No correlation was seen between the ambient temperature and the potassium levels of the vitreous humor. PMI confirmed by the potassium levels seconded the PMI given by the police records and physical signs (Rigor mortis) (Spearman's rho was statistically significant at the two-tailed level or at the 0.01 level with a kappa value of 0.88). Conclusion Potassium measurements in the vitreous humor to estimate the PMI are associated with improved accuracy and precision in determining the time since death. They are not affected by external factors, making them a reliable marker for the same.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sruthi S Kurup
- Forensic Medicine, Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Puducherry, IND
| | - Murugesa Bharathi
- Forensic Medicine, Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Puducherry, IND
| | - Gaurang Narayan
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital, Nagpur, IND
| | - Vinayagamoorthi R
- Biochemistry, Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Puducherry, IND
| | - Rajesh R
- Forensic Medicine, Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Puducherry, IND
| | - Tarun Kumar Suvvari
- Research, Squad Medicine and Research (SMR), Visakhapatnam, IND
- General Medicine, Rangaraya Medical College, Kakinada, IND
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Martínez-Rivera V, Cárdenas-Monroy CA, Millan-Catalan O, González-Corona J, Huerta-Pacheco NS, Martínez-Gutiérrez A, Villavicencio-Queijeiro A, Pedraza-Lara C, Hidalgo-Miranda A, Bravo-Gómez ME, Pérez-Plasencia C, Guardado-Estrada M. Dysregulation of miR-381-3p and miR-23b-3p in skeletal muscle could be a possible estimator of early post-mortem interval in rats. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11102. [PMID: 33986977 PMCID: PMC8086579 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The post-mortem interval (PMI) is the time elapsed since the dead of an individual until the body is found, which is relevant for forensic purposes. The miRNAs regulate the expression of some genes; and due to their small size, they can better support degradation, which makes them suitable for forensic analysis. In the present work, we evaluated the gene expression of miR-381-3p, miR-23b-3p, and miR-144-3p in skeletal muscle in a murine model at the early PMI. Methods We designed a rat model to evaluate the early PMI under controlled conditions. This model consisted in 25 rats divided into five groups of rats, that correspond to the 0, 3, 6, 12 and 24 hours of PMI. The 0 h-PMI was considered as the control group. Muscle samples were taken from each rat to analyze the expression of miR-381-3p, miR-23b-3p, and miR-144-3p by quantitative RT-PCR. The gene expression of each miRNA was expressed as Fold Change (FC) and compared among groups. To find the targets of these miRNAs and the pathways where they participate, we performed an in-silico analysis. From the gene targets of miR-381-3p identified in the silico analysis, the EPC1 gene was selected for gene expression analysis by quantitative RT-PCR in these samples. Also, to evaluate if miR-381-3p could predict the early PMI, a mixed effects model was calculated using its gene expression. Results An upregulation of miR-381-3p was found at 24 h-PMI compared with the control group of 0 h-PMI and (FC = 1.02 vs. FC = 1.96; p = 0.0079). This was the opposite for miR-23b-3p, which had a down-regulation at 24 h-PMI compared to 0 h-PMI (FC = 1.22 vs. FC = 0.13; p = 0.0079). Moreover, the gene expression of miR-381-3p increased throughout the first 24 h of PMI, contrary to miR-23b-3p. The targets of these two miRNAs, participate in biological pathways related to hypoxia, apoptosis, and RNA metabolism. The gene expression of EPC1 was found downregulated at 3 and 12 h of PMI, whereas it remained unchanged at 6 h and 24 h of PMI. Using a multivariate analysis, it was possible to predict the FC of miR-381-3p of all but 6 h-PMI analyzed PMIs. Discussion The present results suggest that miR-23b-3p and miR-381-3p participate at the early PMI, probably regulating the expression of some genes related to the autolysis process as EPC1 gene. Although the miR-381-3p gene expression is a potential estimator of PMI, further studies will be required to obtain better estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Martínez-Rivera
- Laboratorio de Genética, Ciencia Forense, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Christian A Cárdenas-Monroy
- Laboratorio de Genética, Ciencia Forense, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Oliver Millan-Catalan
- Unidad de Investigación Biomédica en Cáncer, Laboratorio de Genómica, Instituo Nacional de Cancerologia, Ciudad de México, México.,Unidad de Investigación Biomédica en Cáncer, Laboratorio de Genómica, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Jessica González-Corona
- Laboratorio de Genética, Ciencia Forense, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - N Sofia Huerta-Pacheco
- Cátedras CONACYT-Ciencia Forense, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Antonio Martínez-Gutiérrez
- Unidad de Investigación Biomédica en Cáncer, Laboratorio de Genómica, Instituo Nacional de Cancerologia, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Alexa Villavicencio-Queijeiro
- Laboratorio de Genética, Ciencia Forense, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Carlos Pedraza-Lara
- Laboratorio de Entomología, Ciencia Forense, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Alfredo Hidalgo-Miranda
- Laboratorio de Genómica del Cáncer, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica (INMEGEN), Nacional de Medicina Genomica, Ciudad de México, México
| | - María Elena Bravo-Gómez
- Laboratorio de Toxicología, Ciencia Forense, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Carlos Pérez-Plasencia
- Unidad de Investigación Biomédica en Cáncer, Laboratorio de Genómica, Instituo Nacional de Cancerologia, Ciudad de México, México.,Unidad de Investigación Biomédica en Cáncer, Laboratorio de Genómica, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Mariano Guardado-Estrada
- Laboratorio de Genética, Ciencia Forense, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
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Pigaiani N, Bertaso A, De Palo EF, Bortolotti F, Tagliaro F. Vitreous humor endogenous compounds analysis for post-mortem forensic investigation. Forensic Sci Int 2020; 310:110235. [PMID: 32169668 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The chemical and biochemical analysis of bodily fluids after death is an important thanatochemical approach to assess the cause and time since death. Vitreous humor (VH) has been used as a biofluid for forensic purposes since the 1960s. Due to its established relevance in toxicology, a literature review highlighting the use of VH with an emphasis on endogenous compounds has not yet been undertaken. VH is a chemically complex aqueous solution of carbohydrates, proteins, electrolytes and other small molecules present in living organisms; this biofluid is useful tool for its isolated environment, preserved from bacterial contamination, decomposition, autolysis, and metabolic reactions. The post-mortem analysis of VH provides an important tool for the estimation of the post-mortem interval (PMI), which can be helpful in determining the cause of death. Consequently, the present review evaluates the recent chemical and biochemical advances with particular importance on the endogenous compounds present at the time of death and their modification over time, which are valuable for the PMI prediction and to identify the cause of death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Pigaiani
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health - Unit of Forensic Medicine, University of Verona, P.le L.A. Scuro 10, Verona, Italy.
| | - Anna Bertaso
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health - Unit of Forensic Medicine, University of Verona, P.le L.A. Scuro 10, Verona, Italy.
| | - Elio Franco De Palo
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health - Unit of Forensic Medicine, University of Verona, P.le L.A. Scuro 10, Verona, Italy
| | - Federica Bortolotti
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health - Unit of Forensic Medicine, University of Verona, P.le L.A. Scuro 10, Verona, Italy
| | - Franco Tagliaro
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health - Unit of Forensic Medicine, University of Verona, P.le L.A. Scuro 10, Verona, Italy; Institute of Translational Medicine and Biotechnology, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
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