[A study on the relationship between the degradation of protein and the postmortem interval]

To observe the degradation of actin and tubulin in the liver tissue of rats after death and to find an objective indicator of the postmortem interval (PMI).

Female rats were killed under anesthesia by ether and incubated at 21 degrees C in a temperature controlled system to simulate postmortem changes for 18 days postmortem. Protein in the hepatic tissue was extracted, actin and tubulin were then examined by western blot. Thereafter, the semi-quantitative analysis of the image of western blot was performed.

Actin in the liver tissue of rats could be detected at 8 days postmortem, but could not be examined after 10 days postmortem. beta-tubulin rather than alpha-tubulin could be examined after 2 days postmortem, and beta-tubulin could not be examined at 4 days postmortem.

There is some difference in the degradation between actin and tubulin, their different preservation period postmortem may be used as a parameter for PMI estimation.