title: Analysis of ionic ratios in myocardial tissue and their relation to cardiac damage.
abstract: The authors evaluated the usefulness of the postmortem biochemical analysis of ionic ratios in different parts of the heart and their relation to cardiac damage caused by chest trauma, as observed by anatomopathologic study. Fifty-nine 59 cases were studied, selected from routine necropsies, and samples were taken from different sites of cardiac tissue. The cause of death was trauma in 40 cases and nontraumatic causes in 19 cases. The object of this study was to analyze the levels of Na+, K+, Ca+2, Mg+2, and Zn+2 in different zones of the heart, and the relationship between intracellular and extracellular ion ratios and the different causes of death and any anatomopathologic alterations observed. The biochemical tests revealed a possible relation between the ionic values and cause of death. Alterations in cell membrane permeability and corresponding modification of the ionic ratios were produced earlier than histologic alterations, which need longer to establish themselves whether or not they follow a traumatic process.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine of Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: M Carmen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Osuna
authors.forename: María D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Pérez-Cárceles
authors.forename: Maximiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gómez-Zapata
authors.forename: Aurelio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luna
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001237:Asphyxia / Q000473:pathology; D001344:Autopsy / Q000379:methods*; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis; D002412:Cations / Q000032:analysis*; D002423:Cause of Death; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability; D005260:Female; D006335:Heart Injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008274:Magnesium / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000473:pathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D011188:Potassium / Q000032:analysis; D012964:Sodium / Q000032:analysis; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000473:pathology; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D002412:Cations; D012964:Sodium; D008274:Magnesium; D015032:Zinc; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium