Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

IL-17A deficiency in HLA-DR3 transgenic mice enriches beneficial Prevotella species in gut to promote Tregs and reduce CNS autoimmunity.

Microbiome·2026
Same author

Association of Polysubstance Exposure and Neonatal Weight Loss Among Infants Exposed to Opioids.

Journal of pediatrics. Clinical practice·2026
Same author

Urine-derived stem cell extracellular vesicles promote recovery from acute kidney injury in mice and human kidney organoids.

American journal of physiology. Renal physiology·2026
Same author

The association of newborn metabolites with early-life wheezing and asthma among US children in the ECHO Program.

Communications medicine·2026
Same author

The intestinal microbiota impacts nutritional immunity and resistance to <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i> pneumonia.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Effect of deep learning attenuation correction on accuracy of stress myocardial perfusion imaging.

Journal of nuclear cardiology : official publication of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 1, 2025

Author Spotlight: Establishing a Reliable Distal MCA Occlusion Model in Mice for Stroke Research
07:34

Author Spotlight: Establishing a Reliable Distal MCA Occlusion Model in Mice for Stroke Research

Published on: December 15, 2023

2.0K

Determination of Postmortem Interval in Mice.

Rachel R Howie1, Michael M McKinney1, Nicholas M Tataryn1

  • 1Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Division of Comparative Medicine, Division of Animal Care, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.

Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science : JAALAS
|March 12, 2024
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Refrigeration significantly slows postmortem changes in mice, preserving tissues for evaluation. Room temperature storage leads to rapid decomposition, impacting research data quality.

More Related Videos

Quantitative Analysis of Cellular Composition in Advanced Atherosclerotic Lesions of Smooth Muscle Cell Lineage-Tracing Mice
09:06

Quantitative Analysis of Cellular Composition in Advanced Atherosclerotic Lesions of Smooth Muscle Cell Lineage-Tracing Mice

Published on: February 20, 2019

8.3K
Analysis of Congenital Heart Defects in Mouse Embryos Using Qualitative and Quantitative Histological Methods
08:28

Analysis of Congenital Heart Defects in Mouse Embryos Using Qualitative and Quantitative Histological Methods

Published on: March 10, 2020

6.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 1, 2025

Author Spotlight: Establishing a Reliable Distal MCA Occlusion Model in Mice for Stroke Research
07:34

Author Spotlight: Establishing a Reliable Distal MCA Occlusion Model in Mice for Stroke Research

Published on: December 15, 2023

2.0K
Quantitative Analysis of Cellular Composition in Advanced Atherosclerotic Lesions of Smooth Muscle Cell Lineage-Tracing Mice
09:06

Quantitative Analysis of Cellular Composition in Advanced Atherosclerotic Lesions of Smooth Muscle Cell Lineage-Tracing Mice

Published on: February 20, 2019

8.3K
Analysis of Congenital Heart Defects in Mouse Embryos Using Qualitative and Quantitative Histological Methods
08:28

Analysis of Congenital Heart Defects in Mouse Embryos Using Qualitative and Quantitative Histological Methods

Published on: March 10, 2020

6.8K

Area of Science:

  • Veterinary Pathology
  • Forensic Science
  • Animal Research

Background:

  • Mice are crucial in biomedical research, yet postmortem changes and their impact on research data are poorly understood.
  • Determining the postmortem interval (PMI) is vital for interpreting findings, but decomposition complicates this.
  • Severe decomposition compromises lesion interpretation, disease detection, and research resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess postmortem changes in mouse carcasses under different storage conditions (room temperature vs. refrigeration).
  • To establish gross criteria for evaluating the suitability of postmortem tissues for further examination.
  • To understand the influence of PMI and environmental factors on decomposition.

Main Methods:

  • 108 C57BL/6 mice were euthanized and divided into room temperature (20-22°C) and refrigerated (4°C) groups.
  • Postmortem changes were assessed via gross and histologic scoring at various time points up to 14 days.
  • Environmental factors including temperature, humidity, ammonia, and weight change were documented.

Main Results:

  • Carcasses at room temperature decomposed significantly faster than those refrigerated.
  • Decomposition was evident by 12 hours at room temperature versus 5 days under refrigeration.
  • Mice at room temperature lost 0.78% body weight daily, compared to 0.06% when refrigerated.

Conclusions:

  • Temperature is a critical factor influencing postmortem changes and tissue suitability for evaluation.
  • Refrigerated storage (4°C) significantly slows autolysis and decomposition, preserving tissues for research.
  • Established criteria can guide decisions on the value of gross and histologic evaluation based on storage conditions and PMI.