الفهرس 
Methods of Estimation of Post Mortem Interval (PMI)Only 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
The determination of the post-mortem interval (PMI) is one of the most significant parameters for forensic medicine, especially when considering a crime elucidation. To date several techniques have been used to determine the PMI, but most of them require some type of biopsy or collected biological fluids and laboratory tests. Others are based on subjective evaluation, such as decrease in body temperature, formation of hypostasis and lividity, muscle relaxation, cadaveric spasm and blood coagulation.
The present study was designed to evaluate the role of cardiac markers, CK-MB and cTrI for estimation of PMI. One hundred sixty eight rats were included in this study. They were divided into winter (20-25°C) and summer(30-35°C) groups. Each was further subdivided into 2 subgroups ischemic and non ischemic, drug induced ischemia was evaluated using ECG and serum CK-MB level together with histopathological examination of rat’s myocardial tissue.
Each subgroup was further subdivided into further 7 sub–sub groups according to different PMIs (1hr, 2hrs, 4hrs, 6hrs, 24hrs, 48hrs and 72hrs).In each sub-subgroup serum CK-MB and serum cTrI were measured supported with histopathological examination of rat’s myocardial tissue at selected PMIs.
The current study showed that ischemia can be successfully induced experimentally in albino rats using isoproterenol injection. ECG changes was clearly evident and significant in ischemic subgroups in both winter and summer groups. Theses changes consisted of tachycardia together with elevated ST segment. Also serum CK-MB was significantly elevated in ischemic winter and summer subgroups, with higher value in winter ischemic subgroup.
Ischemia was further confirmed by histopathological examination of rat’s myocardial tissue . It showed focal or diffuse areas of inflammatory cells together with eosinophilia and interstitial edema. It was noticed that ischemic changes were more evident in the winter subgroup.
PM serum measurement of CK-MB and cTrI was a helpful confirmation of myocardial ischemia ,even infarction as a possible cause of death, together with myocardial histopathological examination.
As regards PM cTrI ,it showed significant elevation in both ischemic and non ischemic subgroups , at different PMIs, but it showed higher values in the non ischemic subgroups in winter, with even more noticed elevation in summer.
Concerning PM CK-MB, it showed significant elevation in the non ischemic subgroups at different PMIs except for 48 and 72 hrs PMI. In the ischemic subgroups it showed significant elevation at all investigated PMIs. This was evident in both winter and summer subgroups with higher values in summer.
PM histopathological examination of rat’s myocardium showed significant increase in postmortem histopathological changes with different PMIs. This appeared in the form of increasing eosinophilia together with increasing intercellular dilatation with elapsed PMIs. These changes were more evident in the summer subgroup.