Division of Ultrastructural Cell Biology, Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan.
From the Section of Legal Medicine, Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki.
Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2023 Jun 1;44(2):132-135. doi: 10.1097/PAF.0000000000000822. Epub 2023 Mar 12.
In the putrefied brain, the cortex and basal ganglia show dark-grayish to green discoloration due to sulfhemoglobin formed from hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) produced by endogenous bacteria and hemoglobin. In this study, we propose and demonstrate another mechanism of green discoloration in the brain. The formalin-fixed brain of a cadaver donated for medical education with no putrefaction was used. Half of the brain was immersed in sodium hydrosulfide solution, to imitate the H 2 S produced by bacteria. This half showed greenish discoloration, mainly in the basal ganglia and cortex. The other half showed positive Perls' Prussian blue staining, mainly in the basal ganglia and cortex. The area of greenish discoloration due to H 2 S and the region positive for Perls' Prussian blue staining coincided. Tissue treatment with strong oxidizing agents is required to liberate heme iron. The positive Perls' Prussian blue staining in this study thus does not reflect heme iron. In conclusion, we considered that non-heme iron compounds physiologically present in the brain and H 2 S represent sources of putrefactive greenish discoloration in the brain.
在腐烂的大脑中，由于内源性细菌和血红蛋白产生的硫化氢（H 2 S）形成的亚硫酸血红蛋白，皮层和基底节呈现出深灰色到绿色的变色。在这项研究中，我们提出并证明了大脑中另一种绿色变色的机制。使用捐赠用于医学教育的无腐败固定福尔马林的大脑。大脑的一半浸泡在硫氢化钠溶液中，以模拟细菌产生的 H 2 S。这一半呈现出绿色变色，主要在基底节和皮层。另一半表现出阳性的 Perl 氏普鲁士蓝染色，主要在基底节和皮层。由于 H 2 S 引起的绿色变色区域与 Perl 氏普鲁士蓝染色阳性区域相吻合。组织需要用强氧化剂处理才能释放血红素铁。因此，本研究中的 Perl 氏普鲁士蓝染色阳性并不反映血红素铁。总之，我们认为存在于大脑中的非血红素铁化合物和 H 2 S 是大脑中腐败性绿色变色的来源。
