Title: Postmortem shifts in the weight and water levels of body organs
Abstract: Evidence obtained in this project indicated that autopsies upon albino rats should be performed in a standardized manner immediately after death to prevent early postmortem shifts in the weight and water level of body organs. As early as 3 hours after death of young, male albino rats, there was found to have occurred a considerable loss of weight in the wall of all parts of the gastrointestinal tract except cardiac stomach and an increase in weight of the lungs. Water levels were increased in diaphragm, heart, ventral abdominal wall muscle, ileum, cerebellum, kidneys, and lungs, and decreased in testicles. A delay of autopsy to 24 hours after death resulted in further significant postmortem changes in certain organ weights and water levels. Some of these changes were partially inhibited by storing the body of the animal at 40°F. Little or no advantage was gained by storage at the lower temperature of 0°F. Some postmortem shifts were more marked in female than in male animals.
Publication Year: 1963
Publication Date: 1963-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref', 'pubmed']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 43
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