title: Estimating the postmortem interval by the difference between oxidant/antioxidant parameters in liver tissue.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  So far the authors could not find any published paper that shows the presence of a possibly significant relationship between oxidant/antioxidant parameters and time of death.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study sought to investigate whether the differences between the levels of endogenous parameters like Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Malondialdehyde (MDA), Glutathione peroxidase (GPx), Glutathione S-transferases (GST), Total glutathione (tGSH), Catalase (CAT) and Nitric oxide (NO) have a relationship with the early postmortem interval (EPI).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 60 Albino Wistar male rats weighing between 220-230 grams were obtained. The rats were divided into six subgroups (n = 10), fed at room temperature (220C) and then decapitated. The livers of the dead rats were extracted at intervals of one hour and biochemical examinations were performed and biochemical results obtained from the animal groups had been evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The authors performed linear regression analysis in order to search for factors predicting the time of death. The time of death was taken as a dependent variable with SOD, MDA, GPx, GST, GSH, CAT, and NO as independent variables. This model resulted with a high predictive value (adjusted R square = 94.0%). SOD, GST and NO were found to be significant factors independently affecting the prediction of the death time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, the results obtained from the experiment showed that the oxidant and antioxidant parameters are important for estimating the EPI.
authors: Department of Forensic Medicine, Ataturk University, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors: Mustafa T
authors: MT
authors: Sener
authors: Halis
authors: H
authors: Suleyman
authors: Ahmet
authors: A
authors: Hacimuftuoglu
authors: Beyzagul
authors: B
authors: Polat
authors: Nihal
authors: N
authors: Cetin
authors: Bahadir
authors: B
authors: Suleyman
authors: Fatih
authors: F
authors: Akcay
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D016014:Linear Models; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D016877:Oxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D016877:Oxidants