Application of Teeth in Toxicological Analysis of Decomposed Cadavers Using a Carbamazepine-Administered Rat Model.

In a regular autopsy, blood and organs are used to quantify drug and toxicant concentrations; however, specimens such as blood cannot be collected from highly decomposed corpses, making the quantification of drug and toxicants impossible. This study aimed to estimate the blood carbamazepine (CBZ) concentration from teeth, a part of the human body that is best preserved after death. We sampled teeth and blood of rats administered CBZ.

Decrease in the expression of muscle-specific miRNAs, miR-133a and miR-1, in myoblasts with replicative senescence.

Muscles that are injured or atrophied by aging undergo myogenic regeneration. Although myoblasts play a pivotal role in myogenic regeneration, their function is impaired with aging. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are also involved in myogenic regeneration.

Bortezomib is an effective enhancer for chemical probe-dependent superoxide detection.

Various chemical probes for the detection of reactive oxygen species have been developed to examine oxidative stress associated with different pathologies. L-012, a luminol-based chemiluminescent probe, is widely used to detect extracellular superoxide because of its high sensitivity. We herein demonstrated that the co-application of the peptide boronic acid proteasome inhibitor, bortezomib, with L-012 significantly increased its luminescence without affecting the background.

Rapid infusion of excessive phenytoin: A newborn autopsy case.

The patient was a two-day-old female infant. The patient's mother was a primigravid in her 20 s who developed premature abruption of the normal placenta on the first day of the 33rd week of gestation. The infant was born by emergency cesarean section with severe neonatal asphyxia with a birth weight of 1928 g.

Simple, Frequent Indicator for Personal Identification-Postmortem and Antemortem Abdominal Computed Tomography Findings of a Charred Body.

Postmortem personal identification in forensic science is performed using various methods. However, severely burnt bodies are hard to identify using odontological or skeletal features because of carbonization, and sometimes DNA profiling is impracticable because of the unavailability of the relatives. We present a case of a burn victim found after a house fire.

Postmortem plasma pentraxin 3 is a useful marker of fatal acute coronary syndrome.

Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is an acute-phase protein that belongs to the pentraxin superfamily. Recently, many clinical studies have demonstrated that plasma PTX3 concentrations rapidly increase in patients with the acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the forensic utility of postmortem plasma PTX3 as a marker of fatal ACS.

Autoerotic asphyxia using a plastic bag loosely covering the head over a gas mask.

Autoerotic death is defined as the accidental death of an individual while masturbating, caused by a device or material used to enhance the sexual response. Here we report an autopsy case of autoerotic death and review the literature. A healthy, single, 33-year-old Japanese male was found dead in his room in a prone position.

5-HT Receptor Agonist-Induced Hyperthermia Is Induced via Vasoconstriction by Peripheral 5-HT Receptors and Brown Adipose Tissue Thermogenesis by Peripheral Serotonin Loss at a High Ambient Temperature.

Recreational drugs such as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and cocaine induce hyperthermia, which is affected by ambient temperature. 2-(4-Bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)--(2-methoxybenzyl)ethanamine (25B-NBOMe), a selective agonist of 5-HT receptor used as a recreational drug, reportedly induces hyperthermia. This study aimed to verify whether 25B-NBOMe induces ambient temperature-dependent hyperthermia and to clarify its mechanism.

Infant fatality case with excessive chylous ascites.

An 11-month-old boy with marked abdominal distension was found dead in the prone position at home. Since there were many bruises in the non-protruding regions of the head, face, and abdomen, a medicolegal autopsy was performed the following day. The boy was smaller than average (height: 68.

Successful quantification of 4'-methyl-α-pyrrolidinohexanophenone (MPHP) in human urine using LC-TOF-MS in an autopsy case.

The toxicological detection of the new synthetic cathinone 4'-methyl-α-pyrrolidinohexanophenone (MPHP) in urine samples has been impossible, because much of MPHP is metabolized before its excretion into urine. In this study, we successfully quantified unmetabolized MPHP in urine of an autopsy case using a sensitive method by liquid chromatography-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry. The quantification method showed good linearity in the range of 1.

Immobilization Stress With α2-Adrenergic Stimulation Induces Regional and Transient Reduction of Cardiac Contraction Through Gi Coupling in Rats.

Stress cardiomyopathy is characterized by transient apical hypokinesia related to catecholamine overflow. Recently, excessive epinephrine administration was shown to recapitulate stress cardiomyopathy through β2-adrenoceptor (AR)-inhibitory G protein (Gi) coupling in rats. We aimed to study whether α2-AR and Gi affect cardiac contraction in rats in which emotional stress was evoked using immobilization (IMO).

Lethal pulmonary air embolism caused by the removal of a double-lumen hemodialysis catheter.

Pulmonary air embolisms due to the removal of a central venous catheter are rare, but catheter removal is known to be a high risk factor for air embolism. In particular, the removal of a large catheter, such as a double-lumen hemodialysis catheter, can allow a large amount of air to enter into the bloodstream, which often results in sudden death. So, during catheter removal, special care should be taken to prevent air from entering blood vessels, for example, to ensure that the patient's head is tilted downward, that they have inhaled and are holding their breath, and that a covering gauze and inert ointment have been applied to the exit site.

TaqMan™ fluorogenic detection system to analyze gene transcription in autopsy material.

Real-time polymerase chain reaction using a TaqMan fluorogenic detection system is a simple and sensitive assay for quantitative analysis of gene transcription. This method is of potential usefulness in quantifying mRNA of a target gene in autopsy material that has undergone only a small amount of postmortem degradation. The TaqMan fluorogenic detection system can monitor PCR in real time using a dual-labeled fluorogenic hybridization probe (TaqMan probe) and a polymerase with 5'-3' exonuclease activity.

MDMA induces cardiac contractile dysfunction through autophagy upregulation and lysosome destabilization in rats.

The underlying mechanisms of cardiotoxicity of 3,4-methylenedioxymethylamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") abuse are unclear. Autophagy exerts either adaptive or maladaptive effects on cardiac function in various pathological settings, but nothing is known on the role of autophagy in the MDMA cardiotoxicity. Here, we investigated the mechanism through which autophagy may be involved in MDMA-induced cardiac contractile dysfunction.

Connexin-43 hemichannels contribute to the propagation of μ-calpain-mediated neuronal death in a cortical ablation injury model.

We investigated the role of the astrocytic and neuronal hemichannels (HCs) in the spread of cortical neuronal death in a rat cortical injury model. Over time (by 6 h), propidium iodide (PI)-positive cells with labeling either with anti-neuron specific enolase or anti-parvalbumin (indicating GABAnergic interneurons) antibody spread in the deep cortical layers adjacent to the injury and co-localized with activated μ-calpain. Connexin (Cx)-43, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), activated μ-calpain and α-fodrin breakdown product (FBP) increased post-injury, peaking at 1 h, in the injury and adjacent areas.

Immunohistochemical study of the autophagy marker microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 in normal and steatotic human livers.

Aim: Autophagy has been implicated in lipid droplet (LD) turnover. Adipose differentiation-related protein (ADRP) and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) monitor LD and autophagosomes, respectively. We examined whether immunohistochemical staining of ADRP and LC3 can monitor LD and autophagy, and if so, whether autophagy is related to LD turnover in post-mortem human livers.

Intermittent-hypoxia induced autophagy attenuates contractile dysfunction and myocardial injury in rat heart.

Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) is considered to be associated with heart failure (HF). It is known that autophagy is induced in various heart diseases thereby promotes survival, but its excess may be maladaptive. Intermittent hypoxia (IH) plays pivotal role in the pathogenesis of SAS.