Evaluation of postmortem histopathological changes in dental pulp of rats after drowning in water

The aim of our study was to demonstrate the histopathological changes in the dental pulp of rats drowned in water. In our study, 48 rats, 8 rats in each group, were used. The death of the rats in the control group was performed with high dose anaesthesia. The remaining groups except the control group were placed in containers filled with water after dissociative anaesthesia. The rats that died due to drowning were dissected after 0, 6, 12, 18 and 24 hours, respectively. In all groups, samples taken from both lung tissues were stained with H&E and analysed for findings supporting drowning. After decalcification, molar tooth samples of rats were stained with H&E stain and examined under light microscope. Pulpal stromal oedema, stoplasmic enlargement, vascular enlargement, perivascular oedema and separation of odontoblast cell group from dentin layer were evaluated in 4 grades. Chi-Square test was used for comparison between groups. P values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. In our study, statistically significant differences were found between the control group and Group 2 (PM 0th hour) in some of the parameters we evaluated. Between Group 2 and some groups kept in water at different time intervals; statistically significant parameters were observed. It is seen that the changes in the dental pulp are promising to support the diagnosis of drowning. It is thought that it will be useful to be supported by other studies to be carried out in the future.