Abstract: Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), histochemistry, immunohistochemistry and morphometry were employed to study ultrastructural characteristics, succinic dehydrogenase (SDH) activity and myoglobin (Mb) content of the rabbit myocardium in hemorrhagic sudden death. The results are summarized as follows: The changes of the myocardium apperaed when hemorrhgic sudden deathmachnde mild intercellular edema of the myocytes; supercontracting of the myofibrils, shortening of the sarcomeres, widening of the z-bands;turbing in alliance of tile respective bands of the parallel arrangement of myofibrils; obviosly decreasing of SDH activity, slight focal deletion of Mb. The mechanism and the significance of these changes on forensic medicine are discussed.

Key words: hemorrhagic shock, myocardial ultrastructure, succinic dehydrogenase, myoglobin