Collagen fibers as an indicator of postmortem interval in non-gravid uterus, prostate, and skeletal muscles of adult albino rats

Determination of postmortem interval (PMI) is a fundamental aspect of forensic medicine, aiding in the reconstruction of the time of death in medico-legal investigations. The present study aims to compare gender-based postmortem changes and investigates the role of collagen fibers as a potential indicator of PMI in albino rats. Eighteen male and nine female adult albino rats were examined. Three prostates, three uterine horns, and the quadriceps muscle of the hind limb of each animal were collected at six time points (0, 6, 24, 36, 48, and 144 h postmortem) after scarifying rats by neck dislocation. Morphological analysis revealed progressive softening of the organs with darker discoloration with increasing PMI. Histological examination using hematoxylin and eosin staining showed cellular degradation up to 48 h PM. Masson's trichrome staining highlighted the persistence of collagen fibers up to 144 h. Notably, male prostates exhibited greater resistance to postmortem degradation compared to female uteri, suggesting that potential sex identification by gonads is possible up to 48 h PM.