title: Temporal expression of immediate early gene mRNA during the supravital reaction in mouse brain and lung after mechanical asphyxiation.
abstract: In forensic pathology, the reactions that occur in the body from somatic death to cell death are commonly termed "supravital reactions". There are many reports of grossly visible and microscopic supravital reactions; however, few papers are available on the supravital reaction concerning gene expression. The aim of this study was to examine the gene expression of immediate early genes (IEGs) including c-fos, fos-B and c-jun in mechanically asphyxiated mouse brain and lung after somatic death and to identify the IEGs expressed at the point of supravital reaction in the brain and lung. Our results confirm that the expression of IEGs changed after death during supravital reaction and that the alterations differed according to the cause of death and the types of organ examined. In addition, IEG expression significantly increased following mechanical asphyxia. These results suggest that there is a specific pattern of gene expression following asphyxia. It is therefore important to identify the specific genes involved, as this may give significant information to aid in the post-mortem diagnosis of strangulation and hanging.
authors.affiliation: Division of Forensic Pathology and Science, Unit of Social Medicine, Course of Medical and Dental Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan. k-ikema@nagasaki-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ikematsu
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Toshikazu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Ryouichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tsuda
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nakasono
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001237:Asphyxia / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D049248:Decapitation; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D015870:Gene Expression; D016762:Genes, fos; D016758:Genes, jun; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D012333:RNA, Messenger