ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To probe the correlation between the postmortem interval (PMI) and the DNA degradation of costicartilage and dental pulp cells in human being after death, and to seek a new method for estimating PMI.@*METHODS@#The image cytometry was used to measure the DNA degradation under different ambient temperatures (30-35 degrees C, 15-20 degrees C) in 0-15 days after death.@*RESULTS@#The average DNA content of two kinds of tissue was degradated with the prolongation of PMI. But there was a plateau period of 0-4 days for dental pulp cells of human being in 15-20 degrees C. There was a high negative correlativity P<0.01 between the average DNA content and PMI.@*CONCLUSION@#PMI could be estimated accurately according to the DNA degradation of costicartilage and dental pulp cells in human being after death.