A study of the rate of cell depletion in solid tissue.

The rate of disappearance of microneurons from the granular layer of the cerebellum of the rat during post-mortem autolysis was measured by image analysis of serial sections of perfusion preparations at various intervals during the first 24 hr after death. The cell population shows a logarithmic decrease during this period. The possible relation to cell death in disease and practical applications of this finding as a gauge of post-mortem interval are discussed.