Correlating the Time Passing After Death With DNA Degradation and Apoptosis in the Prostatic Tissue: Estimation of Postmortem Interval via Microscopic Analysis

In forensic science, determining the postmortem interval (PMI) is considered a continuing challenge. Herein, 36 male albino rats were categorized into six equal groups. The study investigated the postmortem (PM) changes in the prostate at different time points (0, 0.5, 6, 24, 48, and 72 h) through assessment of DNA fragmentation, western blotting of caspase 3, immunohistochemistry (IHC) of Bax/Bcl2 and caspase 3, and histopathological changes. Each PMI showed a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in the mean DNA optical density versus the immediate postmortem group. Additionally, a time-dependent rise (p < 0.05) in the expression of the apoptotic markers Bax and caspase 3 was observed. The anti-apoptotic Bcl2 immunostaining showed strong positive immune expression within the nuclei of basal acinar cells from the moment of death until 6 h PM. The Bcl2 immunoreactivity decreased noticeably after 6 h and then gradually at 24, 48, and 72 h after death. The 72-h postmortem prostate displayed the highest expression of Bax and caspase 3, but the maximal fragmentation of DNA was noted at 0 h. We conclude that the determination of the PMI in the prostate tissues could be accomplished via assessment of the histopathological alterations, DNA fragmentation, and pro-/anti-apoptotic indicators.