Quantitative RT-PCR assays of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha, erythropoietin and vascular endothelial growth factor mRNA transcripts in the kidneys with regard to the cause of death in medicolegal autopsy.

Abstract

Accumulating studies demonstrate that the expressions of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1), erythropoietin (EPO) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) depend on cellular oxygen tension, which is involved in the pathological process of tissue hypoxia and/or ischemia. The present study investigated hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha), EPO and VEGF mRNA expressions in the kidney with regard to the cause of death in medicolegal autopsy. Relative quantifications of HIF-1alpha, EPO and VEGF mRNAs, based on real-time TaqMan reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), were performed on tissue specimens obtained from consistent sites of the bilateral renal cortices. The cases (total, n=245, 6-48h postmortem) included fatal blunt/sharp instrument injuries (n=53/31), asphyxia (n=28: aspiration, n=8; strangulation/hanging, n=20), drowning (n=27), fire fatality (n=62), acute myocardial infarction/ischemia (AMI, n=39), and gastrointestinal hemorrhage (n=5). Both HIF-1alpha and EPO mRNA levels were significantly lower in drowning cases. More characteristic findings were found for VEGF mRNA: it showed higher expression levels for AMI, acute blunt/sharp instrument injury, and aspiration, whereas it was lower for neck compression (strangulation/hanging), drowning, fire fatality with higher blood carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) levels (>60%), peracute blunt injury, and gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Quantitative assays of renal HIF-1alpha, EPO and VEGF mRNA transcripts are potentially useful for investigating the pathophysiology of death, and VEGF mRNA may be especially useful as an indication of acute circulatory failure.

• Authors: Dong Zhao, Bao-Li Zhu, Takaki Ishikawa, Dong-Ri Li, Tomomi Michiue, Hitoshi Maeda
• Journal: Legal medicine (Tokyo, Japan) (Leg Med (Tokyo)) Vol. 8 Issue 5 Pg. 258-63 (Oct 2006) ISSN: 1344-6223 [Print] Ireland
• PMID: 16963303 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit
• RNA, Messenger
• Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
• Erythropoietin

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Asphyxia (metabolism)
• Child
• Drowning (metabolism)
• Erythropoietin (genetics, metabolism)
• Female
• Fires
• Forensic Pathology
• Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage (metabolism)
• Humans
• Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit (genetics, metabolism)
• Kidney (metabolism)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Myocardial Ischemia (metabolism)
• RNA, Messenger (metabolism)
• Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
• Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (genetics, metabolism)
• Wounds, Nonpenetrating (metabolism)
• Wounds, Penetrating (metabolism)