title: Brain tryptophan rather than pH-value is altered as consequence of artificial postmortem interval and storage conditions.
abstract: Brain bank centers around the world attempt to standardize postmortem brain collection and quality control. Antemortem as well postmortem factors may influence tissue quality. Previously, we could demonstrate that increased tryptophan (TRP) levels significantly correlate to prolonged postmortem interval (PMI) and storage duration, whereas pH-value altered merely as consequence of prolonged agonal state and ischemic brain damage additionally to repeated freeze and thaw cycles. Therefore, we aimed to investigate in artificial PMI conditions, with three brain tissue storage temperatures (4°C, room temperature and 37°C) as well as oxidizing conditions (open/close tube), whether TRP levels and pH-value alter. We could confirm that prolonged PMI at higher storage temperatures and oxidizing conditions significantly correlate to increased TRP levels, while pH-value did not correlate at all. In conclusion, from these results PMI intervals until autopsy should be kept as short as possible and storage until autopsy should be at 4°C in order to preserve brain tissue quality as much as possible.
authors.affiliation: National Parkinson Foundation Centre of Excellence Research Laboratory, Clinic and Policlinic for Psychiatry, Psychosomatic and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany. Gruenblatt_E@klinik.uni-wuerzburg.de
authors.forename: Edna
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grünblatt
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Proft
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Apfelbacher
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Deckert
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Roggendorf
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Riederer
authors.forename: Camelia Maria
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Monoranu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D013997:Time Factors; D014015:Tissue Banks / Q000592:standards; D014022:Tissue Survival / Q000502:physiology*; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014364:Tryptophan