Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Antioxidant-related enzymes in myocardial zones and human pericardial fluid in relation to the cause of death

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Legal Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of this work was to shed light on hypoxic and ischemic processes in the heart that may lead to irreversible or lethal myocardial injury. We determined malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities in human cardiac tissues from 45 medico-legal autopsies of persons who died from different causes. Samples were taken from three different areas of myocardium: the anterior and posterior walls of the left ventricle, and the interventricular septum. We used light microscopy to examine the heart sections (hematoxylin-eosin and Masson's trichromic stains), and studied the K+/Na+ ratio and pericardial fluid. A decrease in GSH-Px activity was found in cases with severe atherosclerosis of the coronary artery in comparison with the group with slight or moderate atherosclerosis. Postmortem activities of GSH-Px and SOD were significantly different in the three myocaridal zones studied. An increase in GSH-Px activity in the interventricular septum was noted in cases of cardiac deaths. Antioxidant-related enzymes such as GSH-Px and SOD can therefore be regarded as new biochemical markers indicative of myocardial hypoxia. The possible applications to the postmortem diagnosis of the cause of death are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ambrosio G, Chiariello M (1991) Myocardial reperfusion injury: mechanisms and management. A review. Am J Med 91: 86–88

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Andersen HR, Nielsen D, Falke E (1989) Right ventricular infarction: larger enzyme release with posterior than with anterior involvement. Int J Cardiol 22: 347–355

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Arduini A, Mezzatti A, Porreca E, Lapenna D, DeJulia J, Marzio L, Polidoro G, Cuccurullo F (1988) Effects of ischemia and reperfusion on antioxidant enzymes and mitochondrial inner membrane porteins in perfused rat heart. Biochem Biophys Acta 970: 113–121

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Bird RP, Draper HH (1984) Comparative studies on different methods of malonaldehyde determination. In: Methods in Enzymology Vol 105. Academic Press, New York, pp 299–305

    Google Scholar 

  5. Brinkmann B, Sepulchre MA, Fechner G (1993) The application of selected histochemical and immunohistochemical markers and procedures to the diagnosis of early myocardial damage. Int J Legal Med 106: 135–141

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Buczynski A, Wachowicz B, Kediziora-Kornatowska K, Tkaczewski W (1993) Changes in antioxidant enzyme activities, aggregability and malonyldialdehyde concentration in blood platelets from patients with coronary heart disease. Atherosclerosis 100: 223–228

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Burns J, Milroy CM, Hulewicz B, West CR, Walkley SM, Roberts NB (1992) Necropsy study of association between sudden death and cardiac enzymes. J Clin Pathol 45: 217–220

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Camps FE, Robinson AE, Lucas BGB (1976) Gradwohl's Legal Medicine, 3rd edn. John Wright, Bristol, pp 220–254

    Google Scholar 

  9. Carmagnol F, Sinet PM, Jerome H (1983) Selenium-dependent and non-selenium dependent glutathione peroxidases in human tissue extracts. Biochem Biophys Acta 759: 49–57

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Chaudière J (1994) Some clinical and biochemical constraints of oxidative stress in living cells. In: Rice-Evans CA, Burdon RH (eds) Free Radical Damage and its Control, Elsevier Science, New York, pp 23–64

    Google Scholar 

  11. Crapo JD, McCord JM, Fridovich I (1978) Preparation and assay of superoxide dismutase. In: Methods in Enzymology, Vol 53, Academic Press, Orlando, pp 382–393

    Google Scholar 

  12. Ferrari R, Ceconi C, Curello S, Cargnoni A, Alfieri O, Pardini A, Maezollo P, Visioli O (1991) Oxygen free radicals and myocardial damage: protective role of thiol-containing agents. Am J Med 91: 95–105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Flaherty JT (1991) Myocardial injury mediated by oxygen free radicals. Am J Med 91: 79–85

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Hackel DB, Reimer KA (1990) Consequences of coronary artery disease. In: Kissane JM (ed) Anderson's Pathology, 9th edn. Mosby, St. Louis, pp 624–715

    Google Scholar 

  15. Halliwell B (1991) Reactive oxygen species in living systems: source, biochemistry, and role in human disease. Am J Med 91: 14–22

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Hougen HP, Valenzuela A, Lachica E, Villanueva E (1992) Sudden cardiac death: a comparative study of morphological, histochemical and biochemical methods. Forensic Sci Int 52: 161–169

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Kaijser L, Ericsson M, Walldius G (1989) Fatty acid turnover in the ischaemic compared to the non-ischaemic human heart. Mol Cell Biochem 88: 181–184

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Kogure K, Watson BD, Busto R, Abe K (1982) Potentiation of lipid peroxides by ischemia in rat brain. Neurochem Res 7: 437–454

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Lachica E, Villanueva E, Luna A (1988) Comparison of different techniques for the postmortem diagnosis of myocardial infarction. Forensic Sci Int 38: 21–26

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Lachica E, Villanueva E, Luna A (1988) Regional study of free fatty acids and free carnitine behavior in cardiac tissue in relation to different causes of death. J Forensic Sci 33: 1483–1490

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Lachica E, Villanueva E, Luna A (1988) Regional distribution of total lipids, free fatty acids and free carnitine in human heart. Rev Esp Fisiol 44: 401–406

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Lie JT, Titus JL (1975) Pathology of the myocardium and the conduction system in sudden coronary death. Circulation 52: 41–52

    Google Scholar 

  23. Luna A, Carmona A, Villanueva E (1983) The postmortem determination of CK isoenzymes in the pericardial fluid in various causes of death. Forensic Sci Int 22: 23–30

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Marklund S (1980) Distribution of CuZn superoxide dismutase and Mn superoxide dismutase in human tissues and extracellular fluids. Acta Physiol Scand Suppl 492: 19–23

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Marttila RJ, Röyttä M, Lorentz H, Rinne UK (1988) Oxygen toxicity protecting enzymes in the human brain. J Neural Transm 74: 87–95

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. McCord JM (1985) Oxygen-derived free radicals in post-ischaemic tissue injury. New Engl J Med 76: 159–163

    Google Scholar 

  27. Olson E (1962) Physiology of cardiac muscle. In: Handbook of Physiology, Vol 1. American Physiological Society, Washington DC, pp 199–235

    Google Scholar 

  28. Opie LH (1989) Reperfusion injury and its pharmacological modification. Circulation 80: 1049–1062

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Paglia DE, Valentine WN (1966) Studies on the quantitative and qualitative characterization of erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase. Anal Biochem 16: 359–364

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Placer ZA, Cushman LL, Johnson BC (1966) Estimation of product of lipid peroxidation (malonyldialdehyde) in biochemical systems. Anal Biochem 16: 359–364

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Rammer L, Jansson O (1976) Determination of electrolytes in the myocardium as a tool for the post-mortem diagnosis of recent infarction. Forensic Sci Int 8: 127–130

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Ramos V, Valenzuela A, Villanueva E (1996) Postmortem determination of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant-related enzymes in human heart, brain, and extracellular fluids in relation to time after death. Free Radical Bio Med (Submitted for publication)

  33. Reimer KA, Richard VJ, Murry CE, Ideker RE (1991) Myocardial ischemia and infarction: anatomic and biochemical substrates for ischemic cell death and ventricular arrhythmias. In: Virmani R, Atkinson JB, Fenoglio JJ (eds) Cardiovascular Pathology. Saunders, Philadelphia, pp 61–85

    Google Scholar 

  34. Virmani R, Ursell PC, Fenoglio JJ (1991) Examination of the heart. In: Virmani R, Atkinson JB, Fenoglio JJ (eds) Cardiovascular pathology. Saunders, Philadelphia, pp 1–20

    Google Scholar 

  35. Yoshida S, Busto R, Watson BD, Santiso M, Ginsberg MD (1985) Postischemic cerebral lipid peroxidation in vitro: modification by dietary vitamin E. J Neurochem 44: 1593–1601

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Yu BH (1994) Cellular defenses against damage from reactive oxygen species. Physiol Rev 74: 139–162

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Granada, E-18071, Granada, Spain

    V. Ramos, A. Valenzuela, E. Villanueva & M. T. Miranda

Authors
  1. V. Ramos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. Valenzuela
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. E. Villanueva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. M. T. Miranda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ramos, V., Valenzuela, A., Villanueva, E. et al. Antioxidant-related enzymes in myocardial zones and human pericardial fluid in relation to the cause of death. Int J Leg Med 110, 1–4 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02441016

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02441016

Key words

Search

Navigation