Abstract: Objective To explore the relationship between degradation of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase（GAPDH） mRNA in the mouse liver and postmortem interval（PMI）. Methods Sixty NIH mice were sacrificed by cervical dislocation and suffocation, and then placed into 10 ℃ and 25 ℃ temperature-controlling systems. The changes of GAPDH mRNA in the liver were detected by two-step fluorimetric reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction（RT-PCR） technique and nucleic acids protein cryoscope from 0 to 48 h postmortem. Results In the mouse liver, the amplification products of GAPDH mRNA could be examined within 48 h postmortem in 10 ℃ temperature-controlling system and within 36 h postmortem in 25 ℃ temperature-controlling system. The amplification products showed a decreasing tendency. Conclusion Degradation of GAPDH mRNA in the mouse liver is negative correlation with PMI. GAPDH mRNA could be a new marker for estimation of PMI.

Key words: forensic pathology, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenases, liver, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, postmortem interval, mice