Objective T o observe the chem ical groups changing in rat kidney w ith regard to fatal hyper-therm ia by Fourier transform infrared m icrospectroscopy (FT IR-M SP ) and to provide a new m ethod to diagnose fatal hypertherm ia. Methods R ats w ere sacrificed by hypertherm ia, brainstem injury, m assive hem orrhage and asphyxiation and divided into groups. T he renal sam ples w ere dissected im m ediately af-ter death. T he data of infrared spectroscopy in glom erulus w ere m easured by FT IR-M SP. Results T he absorbances of 3 290, 3 070, 2 850, 1 540 and 1 396 cm -1 significantly increased (P<0.05),and the ratios of A1650/A3290 and A1650/A1540 significantly decreased (P<0.05) in group of hypertherm ia. Conclusion FTIR-M SP can analyze the changes of chem ical groups of kidney as an auxiliary diagnosis for discrim inating hyper-therm ia w ith other causes of death.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tim e-of-flight im aging m ass spectrom etry (MALDI-TOF-IMS ) has been a classical technique for studying proteom ics in present and a tool for analyzing the distribution of proteins and sm all m olecules w ithin biological tissue sections. MALDI-TOF-IMS can analyze m ultiple unknow n com pounds in biological tissue sections sim ultaneously through a single m ea-surem ent w hich can obtain m olecule im aging of the tissue w hile m aintaining the integrity of cellular and m olecules in tissue. In recent years, im aging m ass spectrom etry technique develops relatively quickly in all biom edical dom ain. T his paper based on the relevant data and review s the present developing level of MALDI-TOF-IMS, the principle of im aging m ass spectrom etry, m ethology and the prospect in foren-sic pathology.

Postm ortem chem istry is becom ing m ore and m ore essential in routine forensic pathology and has m ade considerable progress over the past years. B iochem ical analyses of vitreous hum or, blood, urine and cerebrospinal fluid m ay provide im portant inform ation in determ ining the cause of death or in elucidating forensic issues. Postm ortem chem istry m ay be essential for the determ ination of cause of death w hen m orphological m ethods (diabetes m ellitus, alcoholic ketoacidosis and electrolytic disorders) cannot detect the pathophysiological changes involved in the death process. It can also provide m any in-form ation in other forensic situations, including m yocardial ischem ia, sepsis, inflam m ation, infection, ana-phylaxis and horm onal disturbances. T he m ost recent relevant research advances on glucose m etabolism , liver function, cardiac function, renal function, sepsis, inflam m ation, infection, anaphylaxis and horm onal aspect are hereby review ed.

Objective To explore the application value of multi-slice spiral computed tomography (MSCT) in traffic accidents through observing and analyzing the injury features of the accidents. Methods Two fatal cases caused by traffic accidents were fully examined using MSCT, 3D imaging reconstruction and angiography through cardiac puncture. The features of traffic injury mechanism were analyzed through combination of MSCT and postmortem external examination. Results In case 1, right cardiac rupture was found by MSCT and angiography through cardiac puncture. The cause of death was cardiac tam-ponade and right ventricular rupture due to the crush injury of chest in the traffic accident. In case 2, splenic rupture and intra-abdominal hemorrhage was found and caused by injury of left trunk by MSCT. The cause of death was hemorrhage and traumatic shock. Conclusion MSCT could observe skeletal in-jury, soft tissue injury, and hematologic disorder well. The combination use of MSCT and angiography through cardiac puncture provided assistance to the diagnosis of cardiovascular system injury.