Top

Published in:

01-05-2011 | ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Evaluation of the agonal stress: can immunohistochemical detection of ubiquitin in the locus coeruleus be useful?

Authors: Michel H. A. Piette, Stéphanie E. P. Pieters, Els A. De Letter

Published in: International Journal of Legal Medicine | Issue 3/2011

Abstract

The determination of the survival time after a crime as well as the concomitant physical and mental load of the victim is an important task for the forensic pathologist. The heat shock protein, ubiquitin, exerts an essential role in the cellular response to stress. We aimed to investigate the usefulness of the ubiquitin expression in the locus coeruleus as a marker for the evaluation of agonal stress. Is the amount of ubiquitin in this brain locus an indication of the length and/or intensity of the agonal period following various causes of death? The immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of ubiquitin is examined in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded slides of the human locus coeruleus (n = 48). The evaluation of the IHC staining is blindly performed, prior to the study of the medico-legal files. According to the length of agony, a division into subgroups is made. Three possible IHC staining patterns are observed: a staining of the neuronal nucleus or the cytoplasm or both. In addition, the number of neurons with ubiquitin expression per μm² is calculated in each locus coeruleus. Significant differences in the number of ubiquitin-immunoreactive neurons are noticed with respect to the length of the agony: A higher density of positive neurons is seen in case of a pronounced and extended death struggle.

Available only for authorised users

Hendelman WJ (2000) Atlas of functional neuroanatomy. CRC, Boca RatonCrossRef

Tsigos C, Chrousos GP (2002) Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, neuroendocrine factors and stress. J Psychosom Res 53:865–871PubMedCrossRef

Gos T, Hauser R (1996) Evaluation of the emotional state shortly before death—science-fiction or a new challenge? Int J Legal Med 108:327–328PubMedCrossRef

Longstaff A (2005) Neuroscience. Taylor & Francis, New York

Fornace AJ, Alamo I, Hollander MC, Lamoreaux E (1989) Ubiquitin messenger-Rna is a major stress-induced transcript in mammalian-cells. Nucleic Acids Res 17:1215–1230PubMedCrossRef

Finley D, Ozkaynak E, Varshavsky A (1987) The yeast polyubiquitin gene is essential for resistance to high-temperatures, starvation, and other stresses. Cell 48:1035–1046PubMedCrossRef

Ciechanover A, Schwartz AL (1998) The ubiquitin–proteasome pathway: the complexity and myriad functions of proteins death. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 95:2727–2730PubMedCrossRef

Glickman MH, Ciechanover A (2002) The ubiquitin–proteasome proteolytic pathway: destruction for the sake of construction. Physiol Rev 82:373–428PubMed

Hershko A, Ciechanover A (1998) The ubiquitin system. Annu Rev Biochem 67:425–479PubMedCrossRef

10.

Ishikawa T, Zhu BL, Li DR, Zhao D, Michiue T, Maeda H (2007) Immunohistochemical investigation of ubiquitin and myoglobin in the kidney in medicolegal autopsy cases. Forensic Sci Int 171:136–141PubMedCrossRef

11.

Lodish H, Berk A, Matsudaira P (2004) Molecular cell biology. Freeman, New York

12.

Alves-Rodrigues A, Gregori L, Figueiredo-Pereira ME (1998) Ubiquitin, cellular inclusions and their role in neurodegeneration. Trends Neurosci 21:516–520PubMedCrossRef

13.

Quan L, Zhu BL, Oritani S, Ishida K, Fujita MQ, Maeda H (2001) Intranuclear ubiquitin immunoreactivity in the pigmented neurons of the substantia nigra in fire fatalities. Int J Legal Med 114:310–315PubMedCrossRef

14.

Quan L, Zhu BL, Ishida K, Oritani S, Taniguchi M, Fujita MQ, Maeda H (2001) Intranuclear ubiquitin-immunoreactivity of the pigmented neurons of the substantia nigra in fatal acute mechanical asphyxiation and drowning. Int J Legal Med 115:6–11PubMedCrossRef

15.

Pagano M (1997) Cell cycle regulation by the ubiquitin pathway. FASEB J 11:1067–1075PubMed

16.

Dickson DW, Wertkin A, Kress Y, Ksiezak-Reding H, Yen SH (1990) Ubiquitin immunoreactive structures in normal human brains. Distribution and developmental aspects. Lab Invest 63:87–99PubMed

17.

Quan L, Ishikawa T, Michiue T, Li DR, Zhao D, Zhu BL, Maeda H (2005) Quantitative analysis of ubiquitin-immunoreactivity in the midbrain periaqueductal gray matter with regard to the causes of death in forensic autopsy. Leg Med (Tokyo) 7:151–156

18.

Moss A, Blackburn-Munro G, Garry EM, Blakemore JA, Dickinson T, Rosie R, Mitchell R, Fleetwood-Walker SM (2002) A role of the ubiquitin–proteasome system in neuropathic pain. J Neurosci 22:1363–1372PubMed

19.

Madea B, Dettmeyer R, Schmidt P (2003) In: Madea B (ed) Praxis Rechtsmedizin: Befunderhebung, Rekonstruktion, Begutachtung. Springer, Berlin, pp 17–18

20.

Dako. CSA II Biotin-free Tyramide Signal Amplification System, code K1497. For use with mouse primary antibodies

21.

Cisse S, Perry G, Lacosteroyal G, Cabana T, Gauvreau D (1993) Immunochemical identification of ubiquitin and heat-shock proteins in corpora-amylacea from normal aged and Alzheimers-disease brains. Acta Neuropathol 85:233–240PubMedCrossRef

22.

Finley D, Varshavsky A (1985) The ubiquitin system—functions and mechanisms. Trends Biochem Sci 10:343–347CrossRef

23.

Tofighi R, Tillmark N, Dare E, Aberg AM, Larsson JE, Ceccatelli S (2006) Hypoxia-independent apoptosis in neural cells exposed to carbon monoxide in vitro. Brain Res 1098:1–8PubMedCrossRef

24.

Sharma HS, Muresanu D, Sharma A, Patnaik R (2009) Cocaine-induced breakdown of the blood-brain barrier and neurotoxicity. Int Rev Neurobiol 88:297–334PubMedCrossRef

25.

Nolte J (1993) The human brain: an introduction to its functional anatomy. Mosby-Year Book, St Louis

26.

Moore RY, Bloom FE (1979) Central catecholamine neuron systems: anatomy and physiology of the norepinephrine and epinephrine systems. Annu Rev Neurosci 2:113–168PubMedCrossRef

27.

Nieuwenhuys R, Voogd J, van Huijzen C (2007) The human central nervous system. Springer, New York

28.

Quan L, Ishikawa T, Michiue T, Li DR, Zhao D, Oritani S, Zhu BL, Maeda H (2005) Ubiquitin-immunoreactive structures in the midbrain of methamphetamine abusers. Leg Med (Tokyo) 7:144–150

29.

Wilke N, Janssen H, Fahrenhorst C, Hecker H, Manns MP, Brabant EG, Troeger HD, Breitmeier D (2007) Postmortem determination of concentrations of stress hormones in various body fluids—is there a dependency between adrenaline/noradrenaline quotient, cause of death and agony time? Int J Legal Med 121:385–394PubMedCrossRef

30.

Zhu BL, Ishikawa T, Michiue T, Li DR, Zhao D, Quan L, Oritani S, Bessho Y, Maeda H (2007) Postmortem serum catecholamine levels in relation to the cause of death. Forensic Sci Int 173:122–129PubMedCrossRef

31.

Yoshida C, Ishikawa T, Michiue T, Quan L, Maeda H (2009) Postmortem biochemistry and immunohistochemistry of chromogranin A as a stress marker with special regard to fatal hypothermia and hyperthermia. Int J Legal Med. doi:10.1007/s00414-009-0374-3

32.

Ishikawa T, Quan L, Li DR, Zhao D, Michiue T, Hamel M, Maeda H (2008) Postmortem biochemistry and immunohistochemistry of adrenocorticotropic hormone with special regard to fatal hypothermia. Forensic Sci Int 179:147–151PubMedCrossRef

Title: Evaluation of the agonal stress: can immunohistochemical detection of ubiquitin in the locus coeruleus be useful?
Authors: Michel H. A. Piette
Stéphanie E. P. Pieters
Els A. De Letter
Publication date: 01-05-2011
Publisher: Springer-Verlag
Published in: International Journal of Legal Medicine / Issue 3/2011
Print ISSN: 0937-9827
Electronic ISSN: 1437-1596
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-010-0434-8

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Evaluation of the agonal stress: can immunohistochemical detection of ubiquitin in the locus coeruleus be useful?

Abstract

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 3/2011

Journal performance report

Body mass and corrective factor: impact on temperature-based death time estimation

Homicidal strangulation by victim’s own artificial hair extensions

Factors affecting the detection and quantification of mitochondrial point heteroplasmy using Sanger sequencing and SNaPshot minisequencing

Interpretation of drug concentrations in an alternative matrix: the case of meprobamate in vitreous humor

Assessment of DNA degradation and the genotyping success of highly degraded samples