title: Serum atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) as an objective indicator for the diagnosis of neurogenic shock: animal experiment and human case report.
abstract: In forensic medicine, the diagnosis of death due to neurogenic shock is considered to be an aporia, as lacking objective indicators and presenting atypical symptoms in autopsy. Medico-legal disputes and complaints occasionally result from this ambiguity. To explore potential objective indicators of neurogenic shock, we set up a model of neurogenic shock by applying an external mechanical force on the carotid sinus baroreceptor in rabbits. The serum atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) level was measured by radioimmunoassay in the control group (n = 8), survival group (n = 15) and death group (n = 5) both before and after the insult. The serum ANP level showed a significant increase after the insult in the death group compared with the serum obtained before the insult (P = 0.006), while the serum ANP level after the insult in the survival group and control group was not statistically significant compared with the serum obtained before the insult (P = 0.332 and P = 0.492, respectively). To verify the repeatability of the model and the postmortem behavior of serum ANP, five healthy adult rabbits underwent the same procedure as the experimental group. The mortality rate was consistent with the former experiment (20 %). There were no significant changes in serum ANP level in vitro and in vivo (within 48 and 24 h, respectively). But there was a significant decrease in serum ANP level at 48 h postmortem in vivo (P = 0.001). A female patient who expired due to neurogenic shock during a hysteroscopy was reported. Neither fatal primary disease nor evidence for mechanical injuries or intoxication was found according to the autopsy. The serum ANP level was assayed as a supplementary indicator and was found to be three-fold higher than the normal maximum limit. Combined with the animal experiment, this case highlights that serum ANP has the potential to be an objective indicator for the diagnosis of death due to neurogenic shock.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China.|Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Criminal Investigation Technology, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Min-Zhu
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China.|Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Criminal Investigation Technology, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yong-Guo
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China.|Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Criminal Investigation Technology, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China.|Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Criminal Investigation Technology, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jin-Cheng
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.affiliation: School of Medical Technology, Chongqing Medical and Pharmaceutical College, Chongqing, 401331, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Shi-Sheng
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China.|Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Criminal Investigation Technology, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China. ljb2032008@163.com.|Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Criminal Investigation Technology, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China. ljb2032008@163.com.
authors.forename: Jian-Bo
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002346:Carotid Sinus / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000473:pathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D011817:Rabbits; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012769:Shock / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor
keywords: Carotid sinus baroreceptor; Neurogenic shock; Serum atrial natriuretic peptide