Background: Estimation of the postmortem interval (PMI) is a critical issue in forensic science. Various approaches have been used to determine the PMI including physical, biochemical and entomological methods. Most of these methods have practical limitations or provide insufficient results in certain conditions. Postmortem degradation of RNA may be a useful tool for PMI estimation if there is a correlation between the quantity of residual RNA and the elapsed time. This study aimed to evaluate the use of GAPDH mRNA quantity in the brain as a possible indicator for PMI in different environmental conditions. Methods: Seventy-eight adult female albino rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation. Rats were divided into five groups, the control group and 4 studied groups left after sacrificing in different conditions (ambient air at 30°C and at 6°C, buried in sand and submerged under water). Brain samples were obtained at different intervals (0, 24, 48 and 96 h postmortem). The mRNA of GAPDH gene of rats' brain was quantitatively detected by qRT-PCR.

Background and objectives: Post-mortem interval (PMI) estimation is an important topic in forensic sciences. Several methods have been used to determine the PMI, but most of these provide inaccurate results under certain conditions. The degradation of RNA after death has been reported to be a useful tool for PMI estimation. This study aimed to evaluate the potential use of skin and heart GAPDH mRNA levels for determining the PMI under different environmental conditions. Methods: Seventy-eight adult female albino rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation. Then, rats divided into the control group and four experimental groups left under different conditions (in ambient air at 30°C and at 6°C, buried in sand and submerged under water at an air temperature of 30°C). The skin and heart samples were obtained at different time points (0, 24, 48, and 96 h post-mortem), and the GAPDH mRNA level in each sample was detected by qRT-PCR. Results: The GAPDH mRNA levels decreased with increasing PMI in all study groups. There were significant negative correlations between the heart GAPDH mRNA level and the time interval in all studied groups, while the skin GAPDH mRNA level only showed negative correlations under certain conditions. Conclusion: The GAPDH mRNA level in rat heart and skin could be a useful marker for PMI estimation under various environmental conditions.

Hair dye poisoning is a significant emerging problem in Upper Egypt. The main component of hair dye causing toxicity is para-phenylenediamine (PPD). Ingestion of PPD could be accidental or suicidal. After oral intake, it is metabolized in the liver into N-mono-(MAPPD) and N, N′diacetylated (DAPPD) metabolites. Tissue damage after PPD ingestions occurs due to increased free radical and oxidative stress that depletes tissue glutathione. Cardiac toxicity is a complication of PPD poisoning. It could be manifested by hypotension, different arrhythmia; besides, myocarditis and elevated cardiac biomarkers were also found. Serum and urinary levels of PPD, N-acetyl-p-phenylenediamine (MAPPD), and N--diacetylp-phenylenediamine (DAPPD) were measured by HPLC. A prospective cohort study was planned to determine the relationship between the serum and urinary PPD, N-acetyl-pphenylenediamine (MAPPD) and N, on -diacetyl-p-phenylenediamine (DAPPD) levels with cardiac manifestations of the poisoned patient. Forty patients completed the diagnosis to have acute poisoning following hair dye ingestion. PPD and its metabolite concentrations did not show any significant correlation with the prevalence of cardiac toxicity and could not predict its occurrence among studied patient (p-value< .05

Background: Bisphenol A (BPA) is an industrial chemical associated with several health effects and exposure to BPA remains poorly characterized in the developing countries. In this pilot study, we evaluated BPA exposure, assessed some sources of exposure and its health effects among Egyptian children. Methods: Total BPA concentration was measured in two groups of spot urinary samples of ADHD (N = 24) and apparently healthy control (N = 24) children. Questionnaire data regarding food storage behaviors to assess potential sources of exposure was collected. Results: ADHD children exhibited higher urinary BPA concentrations; with median value of 24.5 µg/L. Reported consumption of canned food was a significant predictor of increasing concentrations of urinary BPA. Conclusion: The reported relatively high urinary BPA concentrations within Egyptian children with ADHD and the significant association between the canned food consumption and the increased urinary BPA concentration highlights the need to modify food and consumer product patterns to prevent potential adverse health outcomes in the future.