Pulmonary arterial pressure in fattened Angus steers at moderate altitude influences early postmortem mitochondria functionality and meat color during retail display

Pulmonary hypertension is a noninfectious disease of cattle at altitudes > 1524 m (5,000 ft). Mean pulmonary arterial pressures (PAP) are used as an indicator for pulmonary hypertension in cattle. High PAP cattle (≥ 50 mmHg) entering the feedlot at moderate elevations have lower feed efficiency as compared to low PAP cattle (< 50 mmHg). The impact of pulmonary arterial pressure on mitochondrial function, oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) protein abundance, and meat color was examined using longissimus lumborum (LL) from high (98 ± 13 mmHg; n = 5) and low (41 ± 3 mmHg; n = 6) PAP fattened Angus steers (live weight of 588 ± 38 kg) during early postmortem period (2 h and 48 h) and retail display (day 1 to 9), respectively. High PAP muscle had greater (P = 0.013) OXPHOS-linked respiration and proton leak-associated respiration than low PAP muscles at 2 h postmortem but rapidly declined to be similar (P = 0.145) to low PAP muscle by 48 h postmortem. OXPHOS protein expression was higher (P = 0.045) in low PAP than high PAP muscle. During retail display, redness, chroma, hue, ratio of reflectance at 630 nm and 580 nm, and metmyoglobin reducing activity decreased faster (P < 0.05) in high PAP steaks than low PAP. Lipid oxidation significantly increased (P < 0.05) in high PAP steaks but not (P > 0.05) in low PAP. The results indicated that high PAP caused a lower OXPHOS efficiency and a greater fuel oxidation rates under conditions of low ATP demand in premortem beef LL muscle, this could explain the lower feed efficiency in high PAP feedlot cattle compared to low PAP counterparts. Mitochondrial integral function (membrane integrity or/and protein function) declined faster in high PAP than low PAP muscle at early postmortem. LL steaks from high PAP animals had lower color stability than those from the low PAP animals during simulated retail display, which could be partially attributed to the loss of muscle mitochondrial function at early postmortem by ROS damage in high PAP muscle. Pulmonary arterial hypertension could also decrease type I/type II muscle fiber ratio in skeletal muscle, which needs to be investigated further.

Dissecting the Microbial Community Structure of Internal Organs During the Early Postmortem Period in a Murine Corpse Model

Background Microorganisms inhabit and proliferate throughout the body both externally and internally, which are the primary mediators of putrefaction after death. However, limited information is available about the changes in the postmortem microbiota of extraintestinal body sites in the early decomposition stage of mammalian corpses. Results This study applied 16S rRNA barcoding to investigate microbial composition variations among different organs and the relationship between microbial communities and time since death over 1 day of decomposition. During 1 day of decomposition, Agrobacterium, Prevotella, Bacillus, and Turicibacter were regarded as time-relevant genera in internal organs at different timepoints. Pathways associated with lipid, amino acid, carbohydrate and terpenoid and polyketide metabolism were significantly enriched at 8 hours than that at 0.5 or 4 hours. The microbiome compositions and postmortem metabolic pathways differed by time since death, and more importantly, these alterations were organ specific. Conclusion The dominant microbes differed by organ, while they tended toward similarity as decomposition progressed. The observed thanatomicrobiome variation by body site provides new knowledge into decomposition ecology and forensic microbiology. Additionally, the microbes detected at 0.5 hours in internal organs may inform a new direction for organ transplantation.

Early postmortem metabolism and protease activation in contrasting bovine muscles

Muscle to meat conversion is influenced by muscle properties and metabolism. Fiber type profile impacts glycolytic capacity as well as protein turnover rate in vivo. Our objective was to investigate protease content and activation during the early postmortem period using muscles with known divergent metabolism. Samples from longissimus lumborum (LL) and diaphragm (Dia) were taken from predominantly Angus steer carcasses (n = 6) at 1, 3, and 24h postmortem and frozen. Myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoforms, ATP, glycogen, glucose, glucose-6-phosphate (G6P), and lactate concentrations were determined. Procaspase-3, calpain-1, calpastatin, desmin, and troponin-T were assessed by immunodetection. Fixed effects of muscle (m), time postmortem (t) and the interaction (m × t) were investigated, and least square means were separated by Bonferroni test at 5% significance. Muscles showed contrasting MyHC profiles, with LL represented primarily by IIx and IIa isoforms (~ 88%) whereas Dia contained mostly (80%) type I isoform. Glycogen degradation was more pronounced in LL and coincided with more rapid accumulation of glucose and lactate (P < 0.01). Procaspase-3 content was influenced by muscle (m: P < 0.01), being greater in Dia. Fragments indicating activation of procaspase-3 postmortem were not detected. Calpain-1 autolysis and intact calpastatin (135 kDa) content were influenced by muscle and time (m × t: P < 0.01 and P < 0.01, respectively). Calpastatin fragmentation postmortem was not associated with greater procaspase-3 content. Fast glycolytic LL displayed faster protease activation and greater proteolysis during the first 24h postmortem. 

Mathematical modeling of the corpse cooling under conditions of varying ambient temperature

Background: The constancy of the ambient temperature is the main condition to correctly determine the time of death by thermometric method. However, in practice, this requirement is met only in cases of death in closed rooms. In this study, an exponential mathematical model was proposed for corpse cooling under any changes in ambient temperature. Aim: This study aimed to develop a mathematical model to determine the time of death based on the NewtonRichman cooling law in changing ambient temperature conditions. Materials and methods: Mathematical modeling of corpse cooling under changing ambient temperature is performed, focusing on problem solving of thermometric determination of the time of death. The axillary hollow was used as the diagnostic zone of the corpse, and the temperature of which at the time of death is taken is 36.6С. Results: A method of reverse reproduction of the cadaver temperature in conditions of changing ambient temperature has been developed. Results allow a relatively simple analytical determination of the time of death in the early postmortem period. Conclusions: The proposed method is advisable to be used in forensic medical practice to determine the time of death in early postmortem period. The developed mathematical model is implemented in the format of the application program Warm Bodies NRN. Use of tympanic and intraocular thermometry was recommended within the proposed model.