@article{XU2025, 
author = {Chen XU and Lei TANG and Huanhuan YAO and Fan CHEN},
title = {Study on the Postmortem Redistribution of Metformin in Rats},
year = {2025},
journal = {Forensic Science and Technology},
volume = {50},
number = {6},
pages = {615-618},
keywords = {forensic toxicological analysis, metformin, postmortem redistribution},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.16467/j.1008-3650.2024.0076},
doi = {10.16467/j.1008-3650.2024.0076},
abstract = {This article investigates the post-mortem redistribution pattern of metformin in rats. Twenty-one rats were randomly divided into 7 groups, with 1 group serving as the control group and the remaining 6 groups as the experimental group. The experimental group rats were gavaged with 1 mg/kg metformin, while the control group rats were gavaged with the same dose of physiological saline. After 2 hours, they were euthanized and placed in a right supine position at room temperature (15℃). Heart blood, heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, brain, testes, and muscles were collected at 0, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h after death. The metformin content in each tissue and organ was extracted using protein precipitation method and detected by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. This study found that the distribution of metformin content in various time points, tissues and organs of rats showed different patterns. Metformin exhibits post-mortem redistribution in rats after gavage, therefore, the heart, muscle, and lungs are suitable samples for forensic identification of drug concentration at the time of death.}
}