title: [Contribution of the TUNEL method for post-mortem interval estimation: an experimental study].
abstract: The assessment of post-mortem interval is of major importance in forensic pathology. Many methods have been used in the early post-mortem period but remain rough. To test the hypothesis of an increased rate of apoptosis increasing with post-mortem interval, TUNEL method was applied in rats to study the relationship between the number of apoptotic cells in skin samples and the post-mortem interval. Our study showed that the post-mortem processes were associated with apoptosis in skin cells. The apoptosis rate was statistically correlated with post-mortem interval in the early post-mortem (less than 48 hours after death). The application of the TUNEL method for estimating the post-mortem interval in forensic pathology is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Service de médecine légale, hôpital Lapeyronie, 371, avenue du Doyen-Gaston-Giraud, 34295 Montpellier cedex 5, France.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dorandeu
authors.forename: Geoffroy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lorin de la Grandmaison
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D003643:Death; D049429:Forensic Pathology / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors