Bacterial Succession on Rat Carcasses and Applications for PMI Estimation.
Abstract:


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the bacterial succession on rat carcasses and to evaluate the use of bacterial succession for postmortem interval (PMI) estimation.


METHODS
Adult female SD rat remains were placed in carton boxes. The bacterial colonization of circumocular skin, mouth and vagina was collected to be identified using culture-dependent biochemical methods. The changes in community composition were regularly documented.


RESULTS
The bacterial succession in three habitats showed that Staphylococcus and Neisseria were predominated in early PMI, especially Staphylococcus aureus and Neisseria lactamica in 6 hours after death. Lactobacillus casei developed on the 3-4 days regularly, and kept stable at a certain level in late PMI.


CONCLUSIONS
The involvement of normal and putrefactive bacteria in three body habitats of rat remains can be used for PMI estimation.
Lin
L
Zhang
Juan-juan
JJ
Guo
Telet-Siyit
Yu-long
YL
Peng
Dan
D
Xie
Ya-dong
YD
Guo
Jie
J
Yan
Lagabaiyila
L
Zha
Ji-feng
JF
Cai
D000818:Animals; D001344:Autopsy; D002102:Cadaver; D003643:Death; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D042806:Neisseria lactamica; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus; D013997:Time Factors