Human remains enter marine environments in a number of ways ranging from homicides, suicides, accidental drownings, shipwrecks, to burials at sea. Once the remains are discovered, a legal and forensic investigation begins. A key component to this investigation is the postmortem submergence interval (PMSI). Determining this range on skeletonized remains is a complicated process in which there is no accurate test; although barnacle growth data was previously used to determine PMSI, there are still limitations with that method. Therefore, a more reliable component of bone needs to be used as a potential PMSI indicator, such as its elemental composition. Diagenesis starts affecting bones immediately and continues for thousands of years. Although diagenesis is a slow process, an exchange of elements between bone and the marine environment continually occurs. The purpose of the present study is to determine whether an increase in marine elements is found within the composition of bone after being submerged in a marine environment for up to 20 months. The present study will also determine whether bones submerged in different aquatic environments have significantly different elemental concentrations. For the time trials, pig femora were submerged in lobster cages off the coast of the University of Massachusetts Boston for 2-20 months. For the salinity trials, pig femora were submerged in a freshwater pond (Holliston, MA), the Inner Boston Harbor, and an ocean inlet near Woods Hole, MA for 18 months. All bone samples were dried, milled, homogenized, and analyzed by ED-XRF under He purge. The initially produced mass percentages of the identified elements were corrected with certified values of standard reference materials (NIST 1486, 1646a, and 2702). A Pearson’s correlation test determined that the concentrations for K, Fe, Zn, Sr, Si, S, Cr, Mn, Cl, Br, Ta, and W were significantly correlated to the amount of time submerged in the water. An ANCOVA analysis was applied to the significant elements noted above. After adjusting for the amount of time submerged, the concentrations of K, Fe, Sr, Si, S, Cl, Br, and Ta were determined to be significantly different between the control samples (never submerged) and the submerged samples (submerged for 2-20 months). K was the only element that had greater concentrations in the control samples than the submerged samples, most likely because of the decrease in mass percent as other environmental elements were incorporated into the bone. S and W were significantly related to the number of months submerged, with S being positively influenced and W being negatively. A multivariable linear regression was run in order to identify a means of predicting the amount of time submerged from the elemental concentrations of an unknown bone from a marine environment. The regression produced an equation that used the concentrations for K, Sr, Si, S, Cr, Cl, and Br to predict the PMSI in months. For the salinity trials, a one-way ANOVA was performed on all the elemental concentrations from the different salinity environments. Post hoc tests determined significant differences in elemental concentrations for K, Fe, Si, S, Al, Ti, Cr, Ni, Mn, Cl and Br among the different submergence locations; elemental concentrations of S, Fe, Mn, Cl, K, and Br were either significantly different between the fresh, brackish, and saltwaters or the freshwater and some form of marine water (brackish and salt). The trends in the other elemental concentrations were less obvious due to the impact of pollution within the surrounding environments. The linear regression equation created in the present study accounted for the majority of the variance in the outcome (R2 = 80.2%); however, this equation should not currently be applied in forensic investigations. The study needs to be repeated a number of times with other bone samples from the same and different submergence locations, in order to determine the accuracy and usefulness of the equation. Although not verified, this regression equation may be useful in analyzing samples from brackish and saltwater environments, because the majority of the variables within the equation (K, Sr, S, Cl, Br) were consistent among the fresh, brackish, and saltwater samples. Time constraints, small sample sizes, and variance among samples were the major limitations of the present study. Even with limitations, significant results were produced by the ED-XRF analysis. Future research should expand upon the methodologies of XRF analyses of bones, especially those from marine environments. Because of their relevance to forensic investigations and PMSI, future research should include longer experimental periods, more salinity locations, more information on the surrounding water components, and more comparisons among instrumentation.

The postmortem human brain as a tool to study central nervous system disease Abnormalities in noradrenergic transmission are likely to play a role in behavioral expressions of a number of psychiatric and neurological disorders. The extent to which these abnormalities are pathognomonic, or even principal pathological features contributing to the illness, remains debatable. Interest in the potential for pathological abnormalities in central norepinephrine in central nervous system (CNS) disorders derives from the three general observations: (1) disruption of behaviors known to be heavily influenced by noradrenergic transmission that are associated with the illness; (2) demonstration that pharmacological manipulation of noradrenergic transmission can precipitate, modify, or alleviate symptoms of these disorders; and (3) certain CNS disorders are characterized pathologically by a loss of noradrenergic neurons in the brain. Research on the pathology of central noradrenergic systems in CNS diseases and their relationship to behavioral alterations utilizes a variety of techniques, most of which are technically indirect, given that we currently are unable to directly measure noradrenergic neuron activity, noradrenergic receptor signaling, or norepinephrine release in vivo in living humans. In vivo imaging methods now permit investigators to measure occupancy of certain receptors, but application of these methods specifically to noradrenergic proteins, such as receptors, enzymes or transporters, has been limited. One method to study the role of norepinephrine in the CNS disorders is to utilize postmortem brain tissue from subjects with a given psychiatric or neurological condition.

Morphological studies have shown pathology of neurons and glia in many brain disorders, including psychiatric disorders such as major depression. However, most biochemical characterizations of postmortem human brain tissue have not made a distinction between neurons and glia. Laser capture microdissection (LCM) to isolate specific cell types has the potential to advance our understanding of human brain pathologies. Here, RT-PCR was used to evaluate the utility of LCM in the capture of noradrenergic neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes from the locus coeruleus (LC) of postmortem human brain. The 3 LC cell types were individually identified using modifications of established histological and morphological methods. LCM settings were optimized for each cell type and captured cell bodies were those having no nearby cell body of a different phenotype. LC neurons (200), astrocytes (500), and oligodendrocytes (500) were captured within the LC from 3 postmortem brains. RNA was isolated, reversed transcribed, and markers for neurons (tyrosine hydroxylase [TH], dopamine beta-hydroxylase [DBH]), astrocytes (glial fibrillary acidic protein [GFAP]), and oligodendrocytes (myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein [MOG]), along with 3 references (actin, GAPDH, ubiquitin C) were PCR amplified and quantified by standardized end-point PCR. RNA quality as assessed by RIN was not altered by LCM as compared to RNA isolated from homogenized tissue. TH gene expression was found only in neurons in 2 of the 3 brains. DBH gene expression was ~5-fold greater in neurons than in astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. GFAP gene expression in astrocytes was 7- and 5-fold greater than that in neurons and oligodendrocytes, respectively. MOG gene expression was only detected in oligodendrocytes. Different expression ratios of marker genes between neurons and glia suggest that simple cross contamination of mRNA is unlikely. Glial cells may contain DBH mRNA. Alternatively, DBH, but not TH, mRNA may occur in neuronal dendrites or axons in close association with glial cells that become captured with glia during LCM. GFAP may be expressed in low levels in neurons and oligodendrocytes, or alternatively, GFAP mRNA may be located in astrocytic processes in close association with neuronal and oligodendrocyte cell bodies. Use of a single marker to identify a cell type may be insufficient; other cell types for comparison or additional markers may be required. Multiple well-characterized markers can be used to evaluate clarity of cell capture for each sample. With due regard for specific limitations, LCM can be used to evaluate the molecular pathology of specific cell types in postmortem human brain.

Oligodendrocytes are predominately found in white matter of the brain, but also populate gray matter regions. Although commonly known to provide myelination of neuronal axons, these cells serve numerous other functions in the brain. A unique property of oligodendrocytes is their inherent susceptibility to oxidative stress because of several biochemical characteristics of these cells, including a high concentration of iron, high metabolic rate, and low antioxidant enzyme activity. Oxidative stress conditions are produced by inflammation, and both inflammation and oxidative stress are highly associated with major depressive disorder (MDD). Hence, the study of oligodendrocytes in the brain in MDD readily provides access to molecular mechanisms engaged by oxidative stress conditions that putatively contribute to the etiology of MDD. My laboratory studied oligodendrocytes, and other white matter cells, from postmortem tissue collected from brain donors that died as a result of suicide and other causes, focusing on those donors who had at the time of death either MDD or no psychiatric or neurologic diagnosis (controls). White matter oligodendrocytes or whole white matter in limbic brain from MDD/suicide donors demonstrated indices of elevated oxidative damage, including increased DNA oxidation, shortened telomere DNA, reduced expression of antioxidant enzyme genes, and upregulated DNA base excision repair enzymes. These abnormalities were either not observed or were only modestly evident in astrocytes collected from white matter of the same MDD/suicide donors. To determine whether this oxidative damage was restricted to white matter in the limbic brain, oligodendrocytes were captured from three other brain regions, prefrontal cortical (BA 10) white matter, occipital cortical white matter, and gray matter in the region of the brainstem locus coeruleus. Shortened telomeres and reduced expression of antioxidant enzyme genes were observed in oligodendrocytes from these additional brain regions in MDD/suicide. Since this oligodendrocyte pathology was not anatomically restricted to the limbic brain, it may be difficult to understand how it is relevant to the biological basis of emotional behaviors that are specifically associated with MDD or suicide. However, the oligodendrocyte is highly susceptible to oxidative stress; hence, the oligodendrocyte can be viewed as a “canary in the coal mine” for detecting oxidative damage to the brain. Therefore, elucidation of the molecular pathways activated by oxidative damage in these cells could reveal novel targets for the development of drugs to prevent oxidative damage and its subsequent pathological activation of downstream pathways deleterious to brain cell health. As such, drugs targeting these pathways may have antidepressant properties in humans, and could provide an alternative approach to treating depression and reducing suicide risk. In fact, we found that repeated exposure of rats to psychological stress increased DNA oxidation in prefrontal cortical white matter. Furthermore, preliminary findings using rat models of depression reveal that interruption of pathways downstream to oxidative damage produces a robust antidepressant response, correcting depressive-like behaviors elicited by psychological stress. These findings strongly implicate a role of oxidative damage in the etiology of MDD and possibly suicide, and demonstrate the utility of studying brain pathology as a logical path to identifying novel antidepressant targets.

The distribution of sevoflurane (fluoromethyl 2,2,2,-trifluoro-1-(trifluoromethyl) ethyl ether) in blood, urine, liver, kidney, vitreous humor, and tracheal aspirate is presented from a subject with a sevoflurane induced death. Sevoflurane is a nonflammable general anesthetic administered by inhalation of vaporized liquid. Although general inhalation anesthetics have the potential to be fatal if not properly administered, the incidence of abuse is minute in comparison to other illicit drugs (1). Currently, there are no citations in the literature defining the body distribution of sevoflurane in a sevoflurane induced death. The decedent was found lying in a bed with an oxygen mask containing a gauze pad secured to his face. Three empty bottles and one partially full bottle of Ultane™ (sevoflurane) were found with the body in addition to two pill boxes containing a variety of prescription and non-prescription drugs. Serum, urine and gastric contents from the deceased were screened for numerous drugs and metabolites using a combination of thin layer chromatographic, colorimetric and immunoassay techniques. Analysis of biological specimens from the deceased revealed the presence of: amphetamine, caffeine, pseudoephedrine, nicotine, nicotine metabolite, and valproic acid. Sevoflurane concentrations were determined by headspace gas chromatography with flame ionization detection and revealed concentrations of 26.2 μg/mL in the blood, 105 μg/mL in the urine, 31.9 μg/mL in the tracheal aspirate, 86.7 μg/mL in the vitreous humor, 30.8 mg/kg in the liver, and 12.8 mg/kg in the kidney. The decedent had pathologies consistent with respiratory suppression including pulmonary atelectasis, pulmonary edema, and neck vein distention. The official cause of death was respiratory suppression by sevoflurane and the manner of death was unclear.

No description available.

Forensic entomology has become synonymous with medico-legal entomology and involves the use of insects in legal and criminal investigations.  Insects have been used as evidence in cases of wrongful death of humans and in wildlife poaching cases for many years.  The first jail time sentence for wildlife poaching in Manitoba, Canada was awarded after insect evidence was used to create a timeline for the crime.  In the interest of advancing the science of forensic entomology, insect faunal succession was studied on four white-tailed deer carcasses in southwest Virginia in the summers of 2009 and 2010.  The patterns of insect succession between the summers of 2009 and 2010 were similar at ± = 0.05.  Necrophagous insects arrived in a successional pattern as has been observed on other animal models (e.g. pigs) during past studies conducted in southwest Virginia.  To further explore the role of wildlife specific variables to forensic entomology, larvae of Phormia regina, Meigen, were reared on pork and venison in a laboratory at Virginia Tech.  Environmental rearing conditions were 30" C, 75% RH and 14:10 hour light dark cycle.  Significant differences in lengths of 3rd instar and combined overall maggot lengths were found for maggots reared on the different meat sources.  Mean adult weights and wing lengths of venison-reared flies were significantly greater than those reared on pork at ±=0.05. / Master of Science in Life Sciences

O uso abusivo de substâncias psicoativas cresce a cada dia em diferentes segmentos da sociedade mundialmente. Aumentos significativos no número de ocorrências de óbito com envolvimento de tais substâncias têm sido reportados nas últimas décadas. A classe dos opiáceos está figurada entre as substâncias de maior prevalência nesse contexto. Em toxicologia forense, análises toxicológicas conduzidas em amostras postmortem podem auxiliar se substâncias químicas tiveram influência no óbito. A realização dessas análises e interpretação dos resultados obtidos nesses casos é bastante complexa devido à deterioração sofrida pelos cadáveres, e também pela ocorrência de um fenômeno denominado redistribuição postmortem, responsável pela transferência de substâncias após a morte a favor de gradiente de concentração. Em geral, as substâncias são transferidas de órgãos como fígado, coração, pulmões, e trato gastrointestinal, para locais de menor concentração, afetando principalmente o sangue da região central e órgãos adjacentes. O humor vítreo, apesar de considerado um espécime não-convencional, pode ser bastante útil, principalmente em casos onde não há amostras sanguíneas disponíveis para coleta. Esse espécime se apresenta como uma matriz menos propensa à decomposição bacteriana, além de ser menos afetado pela redistribuição postmortem por sua localização mais afastada dos sítios centrais. Desta forma, um método para quantificação de opiáceos (morfina livre e total, codeína e 6-acetilmorfina) em sangue (cardíaco e periférico) e em humor vítreo humanos coletados postmortem foi desenvolvido e validado. O método mostrou ser preciso, eficiente e sensível, com limite de quantificação de 10 ng/ml. Amostras de 7 casos postmortem com envolvimento de opiáceos foram analisadas com o intuito de verificar correlação nas concentrações entre os sítios, e possível ocorrência do fenômeno de redistribuição. / The abuse of psychoactive substances grows every day worldwide in different segments of the society. Significant increases in the number of drug-related deaths have been reported in recent decades. The class of opiates is one of the most prevalent substances in this context. In forensic toxicology, toxicological analyses are performed in postmortem samples to evaluate whether chemical substances were involved in the death. The completion of this analysis and interpretation of results are very complex due to the deterioration suffered by the corpses, and also by the occurrence of the phenomenon called postmortem redistribution, responsible for the transfer of substances along a concentration gradient after death. In general, the transference of the substances occurred from organs such as liver, heart, lungs and gastrointestinal tract to sites of low concentrations, mainly affecting the blood from central sites and adjacent organs. By this reason, the collection of blood from two different sites of the body for comparison is highly recommendable. Despite being considered a non-conventional specimen, vitreous humor can be quite useful, especially in cases where no blood samples are available for collection. This specimen is usually less prone to bacterial decomposition, and it\'s also less affected by postmortem redistribution due to its location further away from central sites. Thus, a method to quantify opiates (free and total morphine, codeine and 6- monoacetylmorphine) in postmortem blood (cardiac and peripheral) and in vitreous humor samples was developed and validated. The method showed good accuracy, efficiency and sensibility, with limit of quantification of the 10 ng/ml. Seven samples of postmortem cases with opiates involvement were analyzed to verify the correlation in the concentrations of the sites, and possible occurrence of the redistribution phenomenon.

Pesquisas têm documentado como é variável a decomposição corporal e o intervalo de tempo verificado entre as diversas fases do processo de decomposição do cadáver e o momento em que se verificou a morte. Fatores ambientais como temperatura, umidade, condições aeróbica e anaeróbica, presença de microrganismos e condições do solo são considerados como fatores que interferem no processo que envolve a preservação ou não do cadáver. As circunstâncias que detêm a putrefação, uma vez iniciada, estão representadas pelos processos naturais conservadores dos cadáveres. A formação da adipocera foi investigada para confirmar a sua relação com o tempo de esqueletização relacionado ao sexo. O trabalho teve os seguintes objetivos: 1) registrar e comparar as variáveis ambientais temperatura, umidade relativa do ar, chuvas e as variáveis corporais peso e teor de gordura dos animais; 2) investigar se o processo de esqueletização sofre interferência hormonal, descrevendo, macroscopicamente, a esqueletização comparando-se os grupos conforme o sexo e a fase hormonal e 3) identificar a composição da massa cadavérica dos restos da decomposição corpórea através do método da cromatografia gasosa. Trata-se de trabalho experimental com ratos Wistar sendo utilizados 30 ratos divididos em três grupos: 10 machos castrados sem reposição de testosterona (MCST), 10 machos castrados com reposição de testosterona (MCCT) e 10 machos controles da testosterona (MCoT). Para a formação do grupo das fêmeas foram utilizadas 60 ratas divididas em seis grupos: 10 fêmeas controles na fase diestro (FCoD), 10 fêmeas controles na fase estro (FCoE), 10 fêmeas controles na fase proestro (FCoP), 10 fêmeas castradas sem reposição de hormônio (FCSH), 10 fêmeas castradas com reposição de estrógeno (FCCE) e 10 fêmeas castradas com reposição de progesterona (FCCP). Estes animais foram cuidados até atingirem o peso entre 350 e 450g, quando foram mortos em câmara de CO2 e depois envolvidos individualmente em gaze e algodão e colocados em urnas de madeira e depois sepultados dentro de uma caixa de cimento enterrada no solo. As análises realizadas para verificar a variação dos fatores ambientais e dos fatores corporais não interferiram no processo de esqueletização. Após as exumações, apenas o grupo MCoT apresentou esqueletização completa com o esqueleto visível livre de quaisquer restos remanescentes. Os grupos MCST e MCCT apresentaram esqueletização mínima com massa cadavérica recobrindo todo o corpo e alguns ainda apresentando órgãos e vísceras conservados. Todos os grupos das fêmeas apresentaram esqueletização parcial. Toda massa cadavérica analisada confirmou ser adipocera. Considerando-se que os dois grupos de animais foram sepultados no mesmo local, sob as mesmas condições ambientais e corporais, simultaneamente durante o mesmo intervalo de tempo, foi possível apontar a variável hormônio como o fator responsável pela diferença observada na decomposição corpórea. / Researches have been documenting as it is variable the corporal decomposition and the interval of time verified between the several phases of the process of decomposition of the corpse and the moment in which the death was verified. Environmental factors as temperature, humidity, aerobic and anaerobic conditions, presence of microorganisms and conditions of the soil are considered as factors that interfere in the process that involves the preservation or not of the corpse. The circumstances that stop the rotting, once initiated, are represented by the natural processes conservative of the corpses. The formation of the adipocere was investigated to confirm its relation to the time of skeletization related to the sex. The research had the following objectives: 1) to register and to compare the environmental temperature variables, relative humidity of the air, rain and the corporal weight variables and rate of fat of the animals; 2) to investigate if the skeletization process suffers hormonal interference, describing, macroscopically, the skeletization being compared to the groups according to the sex and the hormonal phase and 3) to identify the composition of the cadaverous mass of the remains of the corporal decomposition through the method of gas chromatography. It deals with experimental work with 30 Wistar rats divided into three groups: 10 castrated males no testosterone replacement (CMNT), 10 castrated males with testosterone replacement (CMWT) and 10 males control of testosterone (MCoT). For the formation of the group of the females, 60 female rats were used divided into six groups: 10 females control in the phase diestrus (FCoD), 10 females control in the phase estrus (FCoE), 10 females control in the phase proestrus (FCoP), 10 castrated females no hormone replacement (CFNH), 10 castrated females with estrogen replacement (CFWE) and 10 castrated females with progesterone replacement (CFWP). These animals were taken care of until they reached the weight between 350 and 450g, when they were killed in camera of CO2 and later involved individually in gauze and cotton and put in wood urns and later buried in a cement box placed in the soil. The analyses did to verify the variation of the environmental factors and of the corporal factors didn\'t interfere in the skeletization process. After the exhumations, just the group MCoT presented complete skeletization with the visible skeleton free from any remaining remains. The groups CMNT and CMWT presented minimum skeletization with cadaverous mass covering the whole body and some still presenting conserved organs and viscera. All of the groups of females presented partial skeletization. Every analyzed cadaverous mass was confirmed to be adipocere. Considering that the two groups of animals were buried in the same place, under the same environmental and corporal conditions, simultaneously during the same interval of time, it was possible to point out the variable hormone as the responsible factor for the difference observed in the corporal decomposition.

Pesquisas têm documentado como é variável a decomposição corporal e o intervalo de tempo verificado entre as diversas fases do processo de decomposição do cadáver e o momento em que se verificou a morte. Fatores ambientais como temperatura, umidade, condições aeróbica e anaeróbica, presença de microrganismos e condições do solo são considerados como fatores que interferem no processo que envolve a preservação ou não do cadáver. As circunstâncias que detêm a putrefação, uma vez iniciada, estão representadas pelos processos naturais conservadores dos cadáveres. A formação da adipocera foi investigada para confirmar a sua relação com o tempo de esqueletização relacionado ao sexo. O trabalho teve os seguintes objetivos: 1) registrar e comparar as variáveis ambientais temperatura, umidade relativa do ar, chuvas e as variáveis corporais peso e teor de gordura dos animais; 2) investigar se o processo de esqueletização sofre interferência hormonal, descrevendo, macroscopicamente, a esqueletização comparando-se os grupos conforme o sexo e a fase hormonal e 3) identificar a composição da massa cadavérica dos restos da decomposição corpórea através do método da cromatografia gasosa. Trata-se de trabalho experimental com ratos Wistar sendo utilizados 30 ratos divididos em três grupos: 10 machos castrados sem reposição de testosterona (MCST), 10 machos castrados com reposição de testosterona (MCCT) e 10 machos controles da testosterona (MCoT). Para a formação do grupo das fêmeas foram utilizadas 60 ratas divididas em seis grupos: 10 fêmeas controles na fase diestro (FCoD), 10 fêmeas controles na fase estro (FCoE), 10 fêmeas controles na fase proestro (FCoP), 10 fêmeas castradas sem reposição de hormônio (FCSH), 10 fêmeas castradas com reposição de estrógeno (FCCE) e 10 fêmeas castradas com reposição de progesterona (FCCP). Estes animais foram cuidados até atingirem o peso entre 350 e 450g, quando foram mortos em câmara de CO2 e depois envolvidos individualmente em gaze e algodão e colocados em urnas de madeira e depois sepultados dentro de uma caixa de cimento enterrada no solo. As análises realizadas para verificar a variação dos fatores ambientais e dos fatores corporais não interferiram no processo de esqueletização. Após as exumações, apenas o grupo MCoT apresentou esqueletização completa com o esqueleto visível livre de quaisquer restos remanescentes. Os grupos MCST e MCCT apresentaram esqueletização mínima com massa cadavérica recobrindo todo o corpo e alguns ainda apresentando órgãos e vísceras conservados. Todos os grupos das fêmeas apresentaram esqueletização parcial. Toda massa cadavérica analisada confirmou ser adipocera. Considerando-se que os dois grupos de animais foram sepultados no mesmo local, sob as mesmas condições ambientais e corporais, simultaneamente durante o mesmo intervalo de tempo, foi possível apontar a variável hormônio como o fator responsável pela diferença observada na decomposição corpórea. / Researches have been documenting as it is variable the corporal decomposition and the interval of time verified between the several phases of the process of decomposition of the corpse and the moment in which the death was verified. Environmental factors as temperature, humidity, aerobic and anaerobic conditions, presence of microorganisms and conditions of the soil are considered as factors that interfere in the process that involves the preservation or not of the corpse. The circumstances that stop the rotting, once initiated, are represented by the natural processes conservative of the corpses. The formation of the adipocere was investigated to confirm its relation to the time of skeletization related to the sex. The research had the following objectives: 1) to register and to compare the environmental temperature variables, relative humidity of the air, rain and the corporal weight variables and rate of fat of the animals; 2) to investigate if the skeletization process suffers hormonal interference, describing, macroscopically, the skeletization being compared to the groups according to the sex and the hormonal phase and 3) to identify the composition of the cadaverous mass of the remains of the corporal decomposition through the method of gas chromatography. It deals with experimental work with 30 Wistar rats divided into three groups: 10 castrated males no testosterone replacement (CMNT), 10 castrated males with testosterone replacement (CMWT) and 10 males control of testosterone (MCoT). For the formation of the group of the females, 60 female rats were used divided into six groups: 10 females control in the phase diestrus (FCoD), 10 females control in the phase estrus (FCoE), 10 females control in the phase proestrus (FCoP), 10 castrated females no hormone replacement (CFNH), 10 castrated females with estrogen replacement (CFWE) and 10 castrated females with progesterone replacement (CFWP). These animals were taken care of until they reached the weight between 350 and 450g, when they were killed in camera of CO2 and later involved individually in gauze and cotton and put in wood urns and later buried in a cement box placed in the soil. The analyses did to verify the variation of the environmental factors and of the corporal factors didn\'t interfere in the skeletization process. After the exhumations, just the group MCoT presented complete skeletization with the visible skeleton free from any remaining remains. The groups CMNT and CMWT presented minimum skeletization with cadaverous mass covering the whole body and some still presenting conserved organs and viscera. All of the groups of females presented partial skeletization. Every analyzed cadaverous mass was confirmed to be adipocere. Considering that the two groups of animals were buried in the same place, under the same environmental and corporal conditions, simultaneously during the same interval of time, it was possible to point out the variable hormone as the responsible factor for the difference observed in the corporal decomposition.