Fatal hypothermia related vacuolation of hormone-producing cells in the anterior pituitary

doi:10.1016/j.legalmed.2004.05.004

Legal Medicine

Volume 6, Issue 3, July 2004, Pages 157-163

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Abstract

We found small cytoplasmic vacuoles in the hormone-producing cells of anterior pituitary in hypothermic death. The vacuoles were found in approximately 40% of anterior pituitary cells both in males and females that had died from cold (n=31) while the detection rate was lower than 1% (P<0.001) in the other causes of death (n=180: fire death, n=25; fatal injury, n=24; asphyxia, n=20; poisoning, n=8; natural diseases, n=103). The detection rate in hypothermic death was the highest in ACTH cells (about 65%), followed by gonadotrophs (about 43%), and the lowest in TSH cells (about 16%) (P<0.001). These findings suggest that the cytoplasmic vacuoles in the anterior pituitary cells may be the most closely related to cold exposure among the above-mentioned cause of death, providing a supplementary evidence for determining the causes of death.

Introduction

Forensic pathological diagnosis of death from hypothermia is often difficult, especially in cases lacking typical findings of the gastric erosions (Wischnewski–Flecke) [1], [2], [3], [4], color-difference between the left and right heart blood and hemorrhages in the iliopsoas muscles [5], [6], [7]. Meanwhile, the effects of hypothermia on endocrine system have been discussed in several experimental reports. For example, in a low temperature environment, large vacuoles have appeared in gonadotrophs in the anterior lobe of the hamster hypophysis [8], suggestibly hormone storage accompanied by reduced gonadotropin secretion. However, there appears no reports on the pathology of hypophysis in human subjects.

In the present study, we investigated pathological changes of the hormone-producing cells in the anterior lobe of the hypophysis in fatal hypothermia.

Section snippets

Materials and methods

Pituitary glands were collected at autopsy from 31 cases of accidental fatal hypothermia (male/female n=16/15; 22–78 years of age; 6–48 h postmortem). The diagnostic criteria in the present study were: circumstantial evidence of cold exposure and common pathological findings of hypothermia including bright red hypostasis, color-difference between the left and right heart blood and multiple gastric erosion, without any other complications which may have contributed to the death. Control groups

Results

Fig. 1 shows the vacuoles in the cytoplasm in the cells of the anterior lobe of the hypophysis in a case of death from accidental cold exposure (Fig. 1a). Vacuoles were not observed in the nucleus or in the intercellular matrices. These vacuoles were distinguished from the signet-ring structure (Fig. 1b) and distended Golgi apparatus (Fig. 1c) observed in conditions of lowered gonadal function. The electron microscopic findings showed vacuoles having globular shapes with transparent contents (

Discussion

In the present study, electron microscopic observation showed that the vacuoles existed in the cytoplasm of hormone-producing cell in the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland, and were not found in the nucleus, intracellular organelles and intercellular matrices. Such vacuoles were not observed in the cells containing S-100 protein or vascular endothelial cells. These findings show clearly that the vacuoles were produced in the hormone-producing cells before death.

It is necessary to distinguish

Acknowledgements

We express our sincere gratitude to Professor Demon C. Herbert (Professor of Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, The University of Texas, Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas) for critically reviewing this manuscript.

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Citation Excerpt :
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Fatal hypothermia related vacuolation of hormone-producing cells in the anterior pituitary

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Materials and methods

Results

Discussion

Acknowledgements

Forensic Sci

Leg Med

Behav Brain Res

Gen Comp Endocrinol

Some postmortem observations in accidental hypothermia

Med Sci Law

Beitrag zur Frage des Todes durch Erfrieren

Vjschr Gerichtl Med

Muskelblutungen im Koerperkern—ein Zeichen vitaler Reaktion beim Tod durch Unterkuehlung?

Beitr Gerichte Med

Tod durch Unterkuehlung—Gibt es neue Gesichtspunkte zur Diagnostik?

Z Rechtsmed