Post-mortem Interval and Its Connection with the RNA Degradation from the Dental Pulp in Submerged Teeth

Objective: Evaluate the applicability of using the method of quantifying the RNA degradation extracted from dental pulps to estimate the post mortem interval, by simulating drowning conditions with teeth submerged in fresh water and exposed to different time intervals. Material and methods: The sample consisted of 80 human teeth (third molars), which were divided into eight groups and submitted to the aquatic environment, for pre-established periods of three days, and 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks. After the stipulated time and the recovery of the teeth, the removal of the dental pulp, extraction of the RNA molecule and analysis of the degradation of the molecule were carried out. Results: After the analysis, the highest number of RNA molecule (RIN) found was 6,50 and the results showed very degraded molecules, highlighting the fact that the samples were submitted to the environment, simulating real day-to-day conditions, which may have been a primary factor to justify the results found in this work. Conclusion: RNA degradation quantification method is not applicable, since it was not possible to establish a connection between the degradation of the RNA molecule and the estimation of the post mortem interval.

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The rate of RNA degradation in human dental pulp reveals post-mortem interval

International Journal of Legal Medicine ◽

10.1007/s00414-015-1295-y ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 130 (3) ◽

pp. 615-619 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Viktor S. Poór ◽

Dénes Lukács ◽

Tamás Nagy ◽

Evelin Rácz ◽

Katalin Sipos

Keyword(s):

Dental Pulp ◽

Rna Degradation ◽

Post Mortem ◽

Post Mortem Interval ◽

Human Dental Pulp

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Histological transformations of the dental pulp as possible indicator of post mortem interval: a pilot study

Forensic Science International ◽

10.1016/j.forsciint.2017.09.001 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 279 ◽

pp. 251-257 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Patricio A. Carrasco ◽

Claudia I. Brizuela ◽

Ismael A. Rodriguez ◽

Samuel Muñoz ◽

Marianela E. Godoy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Dental Pulp ◽

Post Mortem ◽

Post Mortem Interval

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Cronotanatognose, utilização da polpa dentária como ferramenta para determinar o tempo de morte: uma revisão

Research Society and Development ◽

10.33448/rsd-v10i10.18862 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. e353101018862

Author(s):

Georgiana Ferreira Ramos ◽

Eskálath Morganna Silva Ferreira ◽

Juliana Fonseca Moreira da Silva ◽

Raphael Sanzio Pimenta

Keyword(s):

Dental Pulp ◽

Experimental Studies ◽

High Strength ◽

The Body ◽

Post Mortem ◽

Criminal Cases ◽

Post Mortem Interval ◽

Complex Process ◽

Para Determinar ◽

The Moment

The post-mortem interval is the period of time that has passed since the death occurred until the moment when the body and /or human remnants are studied. The estimation of this interval is a matter of great relevance in the forensic sphere due to its important role in the resolution of criminal cases. Teeth are fundamental structures in a forensic context due to their high strength and specificity. Therefore, this article aims to present how the dental pulp is used to determine the time of death of the corpse. A systematic review of the scientific literature was carried out with a descriptive and qualitative character, allowing the inclusion of experimental and non-experimental studies for a complete coverage of the analyzed phenomenon. For data collection, online searches were carried out on the bases: SciElo, LILACS and Elsevier. All journal papers that used the selected terms were included in this review. The degradation of dental pulp after death consists of a complex process that has not been fully studied, but with the techniques and changes shown in the text, reliable post-mortem interval results are possible.

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Evaluating the utility of time-lapse imaging in the estimation of post-mortem interval: An Australian case study

Forensic Science International Synergy ◽

10.1016/j.fsisyn.2019.08.003 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 1 ◽

pp. 204-210 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Alyson Wilson ◽

Stanley Serafin ◽

Dilan Seckiner ◽

Rachel Berry ◽

Xanthé Mallett

Keyword(s):

Time Lapse ◽

Post Mortem ◽

Post Mortem Interval ◽

Australian Case ◽

Time Lapse Imaging

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Insights into how environment shapes post-mortem RNA transcription in mouse brain

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-92268-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Raphael Severino Bonadio ◽

Larissa Barbosa Nunes ◽

Patricia Natália S. Moretti ◽

Juliana Forte Mazzeu ◽

Stefano Cagnin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lipid Metabolism ◽

Mouse Brain ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Cell Communication ◽

Rna Degradation ◽

The Body ◽

Biological Processes ◽

Post Mortem ◽

Gene Expression Alterations ◽

Upregulated Genes

AbstractMost biological features that occur on the body after death were already deciphered by traditional medicine. However, the molecular mechanisms triggered in the cellular microenvironment are not fully comprehended yet. Previous studies reported gene expression alterations in the post-mortem condition, but little is known about how the environment could influence RNA degradation and transcriptional regulation. In this work, we analysed the transcriptome of mouse brain after death under three concealment simulations (air exposed, buried, and submerged). Our analyses identified 2,103 genes differentially expressed in all tested groups 48 h after death. Moreover, we identified 111 commonly upregulated and 497 commonly downregulated genes in mice from the concealment simulations. The gene functions shared by the individuals from the tested environments were associated with RNA homeostasis, inflammation, developmental processes, cell communication, cell proliferation, and lipid metabolism. Regarding the altered biological processes, we identified that the macroautophagy process was enriched in the upregulated genes and lipid metabolism was enriched in the downregulated genes. On the other hand, we also described a list of biomarkers associated with the submerged and buried groups, indicating that these environments can influence the post-mortem RNA abundance in its particular way.

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Dental Pulp-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Modeling Genetic Disorders

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22052269 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (5) ◽

pp. 2269

Author(s):

Keiji Masuda ◽

Xu Han ◽

Hiroki Kato ◽

Hiroshi Sato ◽

Yu Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Mesenchymal Stem Cells ◽

Dental Pulp ◽

Genetic Disorders ◽

In Vitro Models ◽

High Plasticity ◽

Human Teeth ◽

Clinical Diagnoses ◽

Models Of Disease

A subpopulation of mesenchymal stem cells, developmentally derived from multipotent neural crest cells that form multiple facial tissues, resides within the dental pulp of human teeth. These stem cells show high proliferative capacity in vitro and are multipotent, including adipogenic, myogenic, osteogenic, chondrogenic, and neurogenic potential. Teeth containing viable cells are harvested via minimally invasive procedures, based on various clinical diagnoses, but then usually discarded as medical waste, indicating the relatively low ethical considerations to reuse these cells for medical applications. Previous studies have demonstrated that stem cells derived from healthy subjects are an excellent source for cell-based medicine, tissue regeneration, and bioengineering. Furthermore, stem cells donated by patients affected by genetic disorders can serve as in vitro models of disease-specific genetic variants, indicating additional applications of these stem cells with high plasticity. This review discusses the benefits, limitations, and perspectives of patient-derived dental pulp stem cells as alternatives that may complement other excellent, yet incomplete stem cell models, such as induced pluripotent stem cells, together with our recent data.

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Impact of Comingled Heterospecific Assemblages on Developmentally Based Estimates of the Post-Mortem Interval—A Study with Lucilia sericata (Meigen), Phormia regina (Meigen) and Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects12040280 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 280

Author(s):

Krystal R. Hans ◽

Sherah L. Vanlaerhoven

Keyword(s):

Growth Rate ◽

Development Time ◽

Lucilia Sericata ◽

Phormia Regina ◽

Calliphora Vicina ◽

Immature Stages ◽

Post Mortem ◽

Blow Fly ◽

Blow Flies ◽

Post Mortem Interval

Estimates of the minimum post-mortem interval (mPMI) using the development rate of blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) are common in modern forensic entomology casework. These estimates are based on single species developing in the absence of heterospecific interactions. Yet, in real-world situations, it is not uncommon to have 2 or more blow fly species developing on a body. Species interactions have the potential to change the acceptance of resources as suitable for oviposition, the timing of oviposition, growth rate, size and development time of immature stages, as well as impacting the survival of immature stages to reach adult. This study measured larval development and growth rate of the blow flies Lucilia sericata (Meigen, 1826), Phormia regina (Meigen, 1826) and Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Calliphoridae) over five constant temperatures (15, 20, 25, 30, 35 °C), in the presence of conspecifics or two-species heterospecific assemblages. Temperature and species treatment interacted such that L. sericata larvae gained mass more rapidly when in the presence of P. regina at 20 and 30 °C, however only developed faster at first instar. At later stages, the presence of P. regina slowed development of L. sericata immatures. Development time of C. vicina immatures was not affected by the presence of P. regina, however larvae gained mass more slowly. Development time of P. regina immatures was faster in the presence of either L. sericata or C. vicina until third instar, at which point, the presence of L. sericata was neutral whereas C. vicina negatively impacted development time. Phormia regina larvae gained mass more rapidly in the presence of L. sericata at 20 °C but were negatively impacted at 25 °C by the presence of either L. sericata or C. vicina. The results of this study indicate that metrics such as development time or larval mass used for estimating mPMI with blow flies are impacted by the presence of comingled heterospecific blow fly assemblages. As the effects of heterospecific assemblages are not uniformly positive or negative between stages, temperatures or species combinations, more research into these effects is vital. Until then, caution should be used when estimating mPMI in cases with multiple blow fly species interacting on a body.

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