A study on the ultrastructural changes of the heart, brain, lung and skin in the electrocuted rats / 中国法医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To detect the morphological evidence of identifying death from electrical injury, the ultrastructural changes of the heart, brain,lung and skin in the electrocuted rats were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Methods 12 rats were divided into the experimental and control groups. In the experimental group,6 rats were killed by electrocution, and in the control group, 6 rats were killed by decapitation. Samples from the heart, brain, lungs, and skin were fixed with valeric aldehyde and post-fixed with osmic acid. After being stained, the ultrathin sections were observed by TEM. Results Evident cell apoptosis was detected in all the tissues examined, and erythrocytes appeared swelling, which stuffed the lumen of the capillary vessels. Conclusion The ultrastructural changes of the cells of the heart, brains, lungs, and skins including the vascular endothelial cells may be used as the indicators for identifying death from electrical injury.