title: Expression of Glucose-Regulated Protein 78 and miR-199a in Rat Brain After Fatal Ligature Strangulation.
abstract: The roles of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and microRNA in the brain tissue after fatal mechanical asphyxia have not been clearly elucidated. We examined the expression of glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), the key regulator of unfolded protein response, and miR-199a in the brain tissues of rats subjected to fatal ligature strangulation to understand the roles of ER stress and microRNA in ligature strangulation. The expressions of GRP78 and miR-199a in rat cortex, hippocampi, and midbrain were measured by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis in a rat model of ligature strangulation. Furthermore, the levels of miR-199a-3p and miR-199a-5p were detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Glucose-regulated protein 78 was highly expressed in the cortex and midbrain in the ligature strangulation group (P < 0.01) when compared with the control group. The expression of GRP78 in the hippocampi showed no significant difference between the 2 groups. miR-199a-3p in the cortex and midbrain was significantly down-regulated in the ligature strangulation group (P < 0.01). However, miR-199a-5p in each brain region showed no significant difference between the 2 groups. In conclusion, ER stress was involved in the physiological and pathological processes of ligature strangulation. Furthermore, upstream miR-199a may play an important regulatory role in mechanical asphyxia.
authors.affiliation: From the *Department of Forensic Pathology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou; †Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Institute of Forensic Science, Ministry of Justice, PR China, Shanghai; and ‡Forensic Science Center, Shunde Branch of Foshan Public Security Bureau, Foshan, China.
authors.forename: Xueying
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Dongchuan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qingjin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Zhiyong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Quan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001237:Asphyxia / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D015536:Down-Regulation; D000091342:Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000378:metabolism*; D023421:Models, Animal; D019838:Neck Injuries / Q000378:metabolism*; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D000091342:Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; C552425:MIRN199 microRNA, rat; D035683:MicroRNAs