Omega-3 pretreatment modulates postmortem biochemical and histopathological changes following heat stroke: an experimental study on adult male albino rats

Abstract

Abstract Background Accurate estimation of the postmortem interval (PMI) remains a major challenge in forensic science because postmortem changes are strongly influenced by environmental temperature. Increasing heat-wave frequency associated with global warming may alter these changes and complicate forensic interpretation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of omega-3 pretreatment on postmortem changes in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels and on hepatic and skin histopathological changes in rats exposed to heat stroke. In this prospective, controlled, interventional experimental animal study, 40 healthy adult male albino rats were randomly allocated to four groups (n = 10 each): control, omega-3, heat stroke, and omega-3 plus heat stroke. Heat stroke was induced in a controlled environmental chamber at 39.5 ± 0.5 °C. Animals were anesthetized with intraperitoneal sodium pentobarbital (50 mg/kg) before heat exposure and euthanized in accordance with ethical guidelines. Blood, liver, and skin samples were collected at predetermined PMIs. Results ALT and AST levels increased progressively with advancing PMI in all groups (both p < 0.001). Heat-exposed rats showed significantly higher ALT and AST levels than the control and omega-3 groups (both p < 0.001). Omega-3 pretreatment significantly reduced ALT levels in heat-stroke-exposed animals, and the PMI × group interaction was significant for ALT ( p < 0.001). A significant Heat Stroke × Omega-3 interaction was observed for ALT (F = 55.947, p < 0.001), whereas the interaction was not significant for AST (F = 0.765, p = 0.388). Although AST levels were numerically lower in the omega-3 plus heat-stroke group, differences from the heat-stroke group were not significant at individual PMIs or overall ( p = 0.162). Qualitative histopathological examination revealed more pronounced hepatic and skin alterations in the heat-stroke group, with less severe changes observed in omega-3-treated animals. Conclusions Heat stroke significantly affected postmortem biochemical and histopathological changes. Omega-3 pretreatment was associated with attenuation of ALT alterations following heat stroke, whereas its effects on AST kinetics and histopathological postmortem changes were not conclusively demonstrated. Further quantitative studies with external validation are needed to confirm these findings and determine their potential forensic applicability.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Egyptian Journal of Forensic Sciences, 2026 · DOI ↗