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ER stress–related protein, CHOP, may serve as a biomarker of mechanical asphyxia: a primary study

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Abstract

The precise authentication of death from mechanical asphyxia (DMA) has been a complex problem in forensic medicine. Besides the traditional methods that concern the superficial characterization of the body, researchers are now paying more attention to the biomarkers that may help the identification of DMA. It has been reported that the extremely hypoxic environment created by DMA can cause the specific expression of mitochondria-related protein, which may sever as the biomarkers of DMA authentication. Since endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress) has been found to be related to the dysfunction of mitochondria, it is promising to look for the biomarkers of DMA among ER stress–related proteins. In this article, animal and cell experiments were conducted to examine how ER-mitochondria interaction may be influenced in the hypoxic condition caused by DMA primarily. Human samples were then used to verify the possible biomarkers of DMA. We found that ER stress–related protein CHOP was significantly up-regulated within a short-term postmortem interval (PMI) in brain tissue of DMA samples, which may interact with a series of ER stress– and mitochondria-related protein, leading to the apoptosis of the cells. It was also verified in human samples that the expression level of CHOP can sever as a potential biomarker of DMA within a specific PMI.

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Funding

This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC fund: 81671863, 81373242, 81971788, and 81172896) and Research Institution Funds of Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Science, Fudan University.

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Author notes

  1. Yikai Hu and Lu Tian contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, 131 Dongan Road, Shanghai, 200032, People’s Republic of China

    Yikai Hu, Liujun Han, Luyuyan Hu & Long Chen

  2. Forensic Lab, Criminal Science and Technology Institute, Pudong Branch, Shanghai Public Security Bureau, 255 Yanzhong Road, Shanghai, 200125, People’s Republic of China

    Lu Tian & Wencan Li

  3. Forensic Lab, Criminal Science and Technology Institute, Shanghai Public Security Bureau, 803 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai, 200082, People’s Republic of China

    Kaijun Ma, Tianye Zhang, Delun Yu, Luyi Xu & Bi Xiao

  4. Department of Criminal Science and Technology, Shanghai Police College, 100 Chongjing Road, Shanghai, 200137, People’s Republic of China

    Geng Fei

  5. Forensic Lab, Criminal Science and Technology Institute, Qianjiang Public Security Bureau, 27 Nanpu Road, Qianjiang, 433199, People’s Republic of China

    Feng Wang

Authors
  1. Yikai Hu
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  2. Lu Tian
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Bi Xiao or Long Chen.

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ESM 1

Figure S1: Western blotting results of CHOP and GRP 78 expression in brain tissue of rats. (A): Expression level of CHOP in brain tissue of rats at 0h after death. CHOP level was significantly higher in hanging, ligature strangulation and manual strangulation group compared to drowning, hemorrhagic shock, brain injury and CO poisoning group (p < 0.05). CHOP level in smothering group was significantly higher than in drowning, brain injury and CO poisoning group (p < 0.05). (B): Expression level of GRP 78 in brain tissue of rats at 0h after death. No significant difference was observed (p>0.05). (C): Expression level of GAPDH in brain tissue of rats at 0h after death. (D): Expression level of CHOP in brain tissue of rats at 6h after death. CHOP level in hanging group was significantly lower than in drowning, hemorrhagic shock and brain injury group (p < 0.05). CHOP level in ligature strangulation group was significantly lower than in drowning, hemorrhagic shock, brain injury and CO poisoning group (p < 0.05). CHOP level in manual strangulation group was significantly lower than in drowning and hemorrhagic shock group (p < 0.05). (E): Expression level of GRP 78 in brain tissue of rats at 6h after death. No significant difference was observed (p>0.05). (F): Expression level of GAPDH in brain tissue of rats at 6h after death. (G): Expression level of CHOP in brain tissue of rats at 12h after death. No significant difference was observed (p>0.05). (H): Expression level of GRP 78 in brain tissue of rats at 12h after death. No significant difference was observed (p>0.05). (I): Expression level of GAPDH in brain tissue of rats at 12h after death (PNG 665 kb)

High resolution image (TIF 290 kb)

ESM 2

Figure S2: Western blotting results of CHOP and GRP 78 expression in myocardium of rats. (A): Expression level of CHOP in myocardium of rats at 0h after death. No significant difference was observed (p>0.05). (B): Expression level of GRP 78 in myocardium of rats at 0h after death. No significant difference was observed (p>0.05). (C): Expression level of GAPDH in myocardium of rats at 0h after death. (D): Expression level of CHOP in myocardium of rats at 6h after death. No significant difference was observed (p>0.05). (E): Expression level of GRP 78 in myocardium of rats at 6h after death. No significant difference was observed (p>0.05). (F): Expression level of GAPDH in myocardium of rats at 6h after death. (G): Expression level of CHOP in myocardium of rats at 12h after death. No significant difference was observed (p>0.05). (H): Expression level of GRP 78 in myocardium of rats at 12h after death. No significant difference was observed (p>0.05). (I): Expression level of GAPDH in myocardium of rats at 12h after death (PNG 2523 kb)

High resolution image (TIF 1090 kb)

ESM 3

Figure S3: Western blotting results of SMAC expression in brain tissue of rats. (A): SMAC expression in mitochondria of brain tissue of rats. No significant difference was observed(p>0.05). (B): GAPDH expression in mitochondria of brain tissue of rats. (C): SMAC expression in cytoplasm of brain tissue of rats. SMAC level in mechanical asphyxia groups was significantly higher than in other causes of death (p < 0.05). (D): GAPDH expression in cytoplasm of brain tissue of rats (PNG 2713 kb)

High resolution image (TIF 1166 kb)

ESM 4

Figure S4: Western blotting results of CHOP and GRP 78 expression in human samples with short-term PMI. (A/D/G/J): Expression level of CHOP in brain tissue of human samples with short-term PMI. Expression of CHOP was significantly higher than all other kinds of cause of death (p < 0.05). (B/E/H/K): Expression level of GRP 78 in brain tissue of human samples with short-term PMI. No significant difference was observed(p>0.05). (C/F/I/L): Expression level of GAPDH in brain tissue of human samples with short-term PMI. (M/P/S/V): Expression level of CHOP in myocardium of human samples with short-term PMI. No significant difference was observed(p>0.05). (N/Q/T/W): Expression level of GRP 78 in myocardium of human samples with short-term PMI. No significant difference was observed(p>0.05). (O/R/U/X): Expression level of GAPDH in myocardium of human samples with short-term PMI (PNG 4223 kb)

High resolution image (TIF 1753 kb)

ESM 5

Figure S5: Western blotting results of CHOP and GRP 78 expression in human samples with long-term PMI. (A/D/G/J): Expression level of CHOP in brain tissue of human samples with long-term PMI. No significant difference was observed(p>0.05). (B/E/H/K): Expression level of GRP 78 in brain tissue of human samples with long-term PMI. No significant difference was observed(p>0.05). (C/F/I/L): Expression level of GAPDH in brain tissue of human samples with long-term PMI. (M/P/S/V): Expression level of CHOP in myocardium of human samples with long-term PMI. No significant difference was observed(p>0.05). (N/Q/T/W): Expression level of GRP 78 in myocardium of human samples with long-term PMI. No significant difference was observed(p>0.05). (O/R/U/X): Expression level of GAPDH in myocardium of human samples with long-term PMI (PNG 4388 kb)

High resolution image (TIF 1824 kb)

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Hu, Y., Tian, L., Ma, K. et al. ER stress–related protein, CHOP, may serve as a biomarker of mechanical asphyxia: a primary study. Int J Legal Med 136, 1091–1104 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-021-02770-1

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