Zhigang L, Xufu Y, Fei X, Xuemei P
Faculty of Forensic Medicine, West China University of Medical Sciences, Chengdu 610041.
Chin Med Sci J. 1999 Dec;14(4):255-8.
The aim of this study was to observe the morphological changes of muscle in the process of rigor mortis. The quadriceps of 40 rats at various postmortem intervals were observed under the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the light microscope by phosphotungstic acid-haematoxylin (PTAH) stain. The results showed that the striations of muscle were blurred within 4 h, but they became apparent from 6 h to 24 h after death. The authors suggest that this phenomenon be associated with the increased resistance of muscle against the postmortal changes. The observations by scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy have revealed that the muscles do contract in the process of rigor mortis because the distance between two Z lines shortens and the 1 band narrows, compared with those in anaesthetised animals. The basic biochemical process for the formation of rigor mortis is the same as that of muscle contraction except that the former happens postmortem and the latter antemortem.
本研究的目的是观察尸僵过程中肌肉的形态学变化。对40只大鼠在不同死后间隔时间的股四头肌进行扫描电子显微镜（SEM）观察，并采用磷钨酸苏木精（PTAH）染色后在光学显微镜下观察。结果显示，死后4小时内肌肉条纹模糊，但在死后6小时至24小时变得明显。作者认为这种现象与肌肉对死后变化的抵抗力增加有关。扫描电子显微镜和光学显微镜观察显示，与麻醉动物相比，尸僵过程中肌肉确实会收缩，因为两条Z线之间的距离缩短，I带变窄。尸僵形成的基本生化过程与肌肉收缩相同，只是前者发生在死后，后者发生在生前。
