Postmortem Delay Has Minimal Effect on Brain RNA Integrity

• DOI: 10.1097/nen.0b013e31815c196a
• Publication Date: 2008-05-04T16:37:21Z
• Authors: John F. Ervin; Erin L. Heinzen; Kenneth D. Cronin; David Goldstein; Mari H. Szymanski; James R. Burke; Kathleen A. Welsh...; Christine M. Hulette
• Keywords: Postmortem studies; Human brain; Temporal cortex; Postmortem Changes

The Bryan Alzheimer Disease Research Center obtains postmortem human brain tissue from patients with disease (AD) and cognitively normal control subjects for molecular genetic research programs. A growing body of suggests that variations in gene transcript levels may contribute to the onset progression disease. Identifying how regulation expression affect AD requires use high-quality mRNA banked brains. present study was conducted establish quality suitability available future studies. We chose 32 cases Braak stage IV, V, or VI. These were matched 36 by age sex when possible. Multiple regions each sampled, including frontal cortex, temporal occipital cerebellum. Hippocampus also 14 cases. comparison several antemortem variables, such as interval, agonal state, ventricular cerebrospinal fluid pH, cause death analyzed. RNA isolated at least 1 area every most brains yielded intact all tested. Analysis clinical variables did not reveal any features correlated ability recover mRNA. conclude undegraded be many hours neither pH nor interval is predictive integrity.