Early post-mortem microscopic changes in liver and kidney of albino rat : A comparative study between head trauma and drowning

Abstract EN

This study demonstrates the histological and ultrastructural autolytic alterations in the liver and kidney of rats during early postmortem interval up to 24 hours and identifies the parameters which may assist in determining the time of death.

This study also investigates the influence of cause of death (drowning and blunt head trauma) on these autolytic changes.

Thirty adult male albino rats were used in this study, six were isolated as a control and the remaining 24 animals were divided into 2 groups (each consists of 12 animals).

The first group was drowned in tap water and the second group was injured by blunt trauma to the head Liver and kidney specimens were taken from animals of each group, in room temperature after different intervals post-mortem.

Examination was carried out using light microscopy, semithin sections and electron microscopy.

The most marked variations between the first group (drowned) and the second group (blunt head trauma) were observed at 5 hours post-mortem.

Light marked congestion of peritubular capillaries in drowning.

While vacuolated cells with small dense nuclei and irregular tubules with obliterated lumina were the signs in head trauma.

Loss of architecture with destructed rarified cytoplasm and small 'dense nuclei were characteristic signs after 24 hours in the two causes of death.

On the other hand light microscopy and semi thin sections of liver 5 hours after death showed marked congestion and dilatation of blood sinusoids in drowning but congestion was mild in head trauma.

Twenty four hours later there was loss of liver cellular architecture in the two causes of death.

Using electron microscopy, kidney showed swollen mitochondria and irregular large vacuoles in drowning and head trauma both after 5 and 24 hours post-mortem.

While thickened basement membrane was characteristic in owning only.

On the other hand there was no difference between the two causes of death in liver cells either after 5 or 24 hours.

Using electron microscopy in the present study proved useful for identifying kidney tissue changes which were found to be specific for each chronological step and for cause of death