ISSN:
1437-1596
Keywords:
Key words Rigor mortis
;
Muscle fiber types
;
Liquid paraffin
;
Temperature
;
Rats
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
,
Law
Notes:
Abstract Rigor mortis is thought to be related to falling ATP levels in muscles postmortem. We measured rigor mortis as tension determined isometrically in three rat leg muscles in liquid paraffin kept at 37 °C or 25 °C – two red muscles, red gastrocnemius (RG) and soleus (SO) and one white muscle, white gastrocnemius (WG). Onset, half and full rigor mortis occurred earlier in RG and SO than in WG both at 37 °C and at 25 °C even though RG and WG were portions of the same muscle. This suggests that rigor mortis directly reflects the postmortem intramuscular ATP level, which decreases more rapidly in red muscle than in white muscle after death. Rigor mortis was more retarded at 25 °C than at 37 °C in each type of muscle.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s004149900100
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