Abstract: Objective To detect the changes of （interleukin, IL） -1α, IL-1β and IL-13 mRNA in lung tissue and serum of drown rats, and to explore the potential value for the diagnosis of drowning in forensic practice. Methods Eighteen SD rats were randomly divided into drowning group, blank control group and myocardial infarction group （as control group）. The serum of right ventricular, the inferior lobe of right lung and the myocardium were taken from the rats in different groups. The expressions of IL-1α, IL-1β and IL-13 mRNA in the lung tissue and the serum of right ventricular were detected by TaqMan probe method. Results The expression differences of IL-1α, IL-1β and IL-13 mRNA in lung tissue between drowning group and blank control group, myocardial infarction group were not statistically significant （P>0.05）. The expression of IL-1β and IL-13 mRNA in serum of right ventricular increased （P<0.05）. The expression differences of IL-1α, IL-1β and IL-13 mRNA in serum between blank control group and myocardial infarction group were not statistically significant （P>0.05）. Conclusion The changes of cytokines IL-1β and IL-13 mRNA in the serum of right ventricular of drown rats are statistical significance, which are highly correlated with drowning.

Key words: forensic pathology, drowning, fresh water, interleukin-1 alpha, interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-13, rats