Determination of cause of death and estimation of survival period by the use of immunohistochemical markers of glial cells

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1. Changes of astrocytes (AC) in cases of short survival period: Changes of AC, especially pyknosis of the nucleus, in cases of death due to several cases were investigated. The formalin-fixed brains from 48 cases of death due to hanging, strangulation, drowning, ex-sanguination and so on were examined. Paraffin-embedded sections from the corpus callosum were immunostained by the use of an antibody against glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Pyknosis of the nucleus of AC was detected in 27 cases. 25 out of these 27 cases were those of less than 1 hour of survival. Among them, nuclear pyknosis were found in all cases of death due to strangulation. Further, in cases of death due to exsanguination, pyknosis was detected in all cases with less than 1 hour of survival, whereas in no cases with more than 1 hour of survival. Therefore, it is suggested that detection of nuclear pyknosis of AC should be useful for estimation of survival period.2. Detection of nuclear pyknosis of AC in several sections: In a case of a few minutes of survi val with death due to exsanguination, pyknosis of the nucleus of AC was found in sections from the corpus callosum and cerebral white matter, whereas not in those from brain stem nor cere bellum. On the other hand, in a case of instantaneous death due to gunshot, pyknosis of the nucleus of AC was found in all sections from the corpus callosum, cerebral white matter, brain stem and cerebel lum.3. Investigation of changes of glial cells: Nuclear pyknosis in oligodendrocytes was found only in head injury cases of short survival period in CNPase-stained sections. No changes of micro glia were found in cases of short survival period in RCA1-stained sections.