[Comparison of the contents of ATP, ADP, and AMP in the cardiac muscle of rat killed by different manners].
OBJECTIVE
The content changes of energy substances in the cardiac muscle of rat killed by different manners were investigated to elucidate evidence that can be used to determine the modes of death and postmortem interval.


METHODS
One hundred and eighty rats were randomly allocated into 3 groups and killed by bleeding, suffocating, and neck breaking, respectively. The contents of ATP, ADP, and AMP in the cardiac muscle of rats killed by the different manners at different death intervals (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 18, and 24 h) were measured by HPLC.


RESULTS
There were significant differences observed in the contents of ATP and AMP in the rats' cardiac muscle in different groups at most of the intervals (P < 0.05) and at all of the intervals within the same group (P < 0.01), but no differences were found in the ADP contents in any of the group at most of the intervals.


CONCLUSIONS
The content changes of energy substances (ATP and AMP) in the cardiac muscle of dead rats may provide a basis for determination of the death manners and postmortem intervals.
Song
Yu
Y
West China School of Preclinical and Forensic Medicine Sichuan University, Chengdu 610014, China.
Liao
Lin-chuan
LC
Yan
You-yi
YY
Yang
Lin
L
Huang
Hong
H
Cheng
Yu
Y
D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate / Q000378:metabolism*; D000249:Adenosine Monophosphate / Q000378:metabolism*; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001237:Asphyxia / Q000378:metabolism; D002423:Cause of Death; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012771:Shock, Hemorrhagic / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors
D000249:Adenosine Monophosphate; D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate