Experimental investigations in post-mortem protein degradation.
Samples of thoracic fluid were obtained at regular intervals from the putrefying bodies of dead dogs. For quantitative estimation of the proteins two-dimensional immunoelectrophoresis was employed and for the amino acids and amines two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography. The results lead to speculation that the initially lagging proteolytic changes are due to catalysis of autoenzymes, whereas bacteriological processes are responsible for a distinct acceleration from the 20th day after death. At this time the amino-acid concentrations showed a marked increase, which is followed by a maximum of bacterial growth, that ultimately leads to a sudden regression of amino acids. Simultaneously amines appear. The drying up of the thoracic cavity after 35 to 45 days marks the change from liquefaction to the terminal decay.
D000418:Albumins / Q000378:metabolism; D000510:Alpha-Globulins / Q000378:metabolism; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001609:Beta-Globulins / Q000378:metabolism; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D004285:Dogs; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D013909:Thorax; D013997:Time Factors; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins / Q000378:metabolism
D000418:Albumins; D000510:Alpha-Globulins; D000596:Amino Acids; D001609:Beta-Globulins; D011506:Proteins; D014168:Transferrin; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins; D005340:Fibrinogen