Quantitative analysis of ubiquitin-immunoreactivity in the midbrain periaqueductal gray matter with regard to the causes of death in forensic autopsy.
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| Abstract |
The aim of the present study was to examine Ub-immunoreactivity in the midbrain periaqueductal gray matter (PGM), which is involved in pain processing and modulation, in forensic autopsy cases (n=273) in relation to the causes of death: acute deaths from blunt injuries (n=75), sharp weapon injuries (n=36), fatal asphyxiation (n=22), drownings (n=16: freshwater, n=9; saltwater, n=7), fire fatalities (n=64), poisoning (n=12), hyperthermia (n=5), hypothermia (n=5), delayed deaths from blunt head injury (n=8), acute cardiac deaths (n=24), and acute cerebrovascular strokes (n=6). The Ub-immunoreactivity was clearly observed in the nuclei of the PGM neurons, showing no postmortem interference or age-dependency. A higher value was observed in blunt injuries, fire fatalities and also in saltwater drowning, hyperthermia and delayed head injury deaths. These findings suggest a complicated mechanism for the ubiquitination of PGM neurons, to which multiple factors including the intensity and duration of pains possibly under alert consciousness, traumatic and metabolic neurodegeneration may contribute.
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| Authors | Li Quan, Takaki Ishikawa, Tomomi Michiue, Dong-Ri Li, Dong Zhao, Bao-Li Zhu, Hitoshi Maeda |
| Journal | Legal medicine (Tokyo, Japan) (Leg Med (Tokyo)) Vol. 7 Issue 3 Pg. 151-6 (May 2005) ISSN: 1344-6223 [Print] Ireland |
| PMID | 15847822 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't) |
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