Postmortem production of ethanol and n-propanol in the brain of drowned persons.
We examined endogenous ethanol and n-propanol levels in the brain in 29 drowning cases in which ethanol consumption was excluded. Based on the stage of putrefaction of the brain, our cases were classified into 4 groups: pulpified brain (PB, n = 11), softened brain (SB, n = 6), discolored brain (DB, n = 2), and normal brain (NB, n = 10). The endogenous ethanol and n-propanol levels (mg/g), respectively, in the brains from these groups were 1.06 +/- 0.401 and 0.076 +/- 0.032 in PB, 0.195 +/- 0.136 and 0.012 +/- 0.009 in SB, and 0.053 +/- 0.032 and 0.001 +/- 0.001 in DB. Ethanol and n-propanol were not detected in NB. The concentration ratios of ethanol to n-propanol were 16.2 +/- 7.1 in specimens with ethanol levels > or = 0.50 mg/g (n = 10), and 17.6 +/- 13.5 in specimens with ethanol levels of 0.10 to 0.49 mg/g (n = 9). Drinking may strongly be suspected when (1) ethanol concentration in the brain is > or = 0.50 mg/g and cerebral ethanol to n-propanol ratio is > or = 40; and (2) the concentration of ethanol is 0.10 to 0.49 mg/g and the ethanol to n-propanol ratio is > or = 60.
Moriya
Fumio
F
Department of Legal Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Kohasu, Oko-cho, Nankoku City, Kochi 783-8505, Japan. moriyaf@med.kochi-u.ac.jp
Hashimoto
Yoshiaki
Y
D000433:1-Propanol / Q000032:analysis*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002849:Chromatography, Gas / Q000379:methods; D004332:Drowning / Q000473:pathology*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011180:Postmortem Changes
D000431:Ethanol; D000433:1-Propanol