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Assessing Insulin Clearance in Mice via In Situ Liver Perfusion

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Insulin and the law.

Vincent Marks¹

¹Faculty of Health an Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK vincentmarks@btinternet.com.

Annals of Clinical Biochemistry

|June 21, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Hypoglycaemia can be a defense in criminal cases if neuroglycopenic automatism is proven. Insulin misuse, including with analogues, presents detection challenges for forensic investigators.

Keywords:

Immunoassay drugs mass spectrometry murder suicide

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Area of Science:

Forensic Toxicology
Endocrinology
Criminal Law

Background:

Hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose) can induce neuroglycopenic automatism, potentially negating criminal responsibility.
Exogenous insulin can be misused as a substance for suicide or homicide.
Investigating suspected insulin misuse in forensic contexts is complex.

Observation:

The increasing prevalence of insulin analogues complicates their detection and measurement.
Immunoassays may be unreliable for identifying and quantifying insulin analogues in forensic samples.
Establishing hypoglycaemic automatism requires rigorous proof.

Findings:

Forensic investigators face significant challenges in detecting and proving insulin misuse, particularly with novel insulin analogues.
Standard immunoassay methods may not accurately detect or measure insulin analogues, hindering accurate forensic analysis.
The legal defense of hypoglycaemic automatism relies on demonstrating a specific neuroglycopenic state.

Implications:

Improved, reliable detection methods for insulin and its analogues are crucial for forensic toxicology.
Clearer legal and scientific protocols are needed to address insulin misuse in criminal investigations.
Understanding the limitations of current assays is vital for accurate interpretation of forensic evidence.