Proteomic analysis of plasma from heroin abuser sunder immobilized Ph gradients 4 -7 / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

ABSTRACT

AIM To identify differentially expressed proteins in the plasma that may be used as biomarkers for heroin addiction through a two-dimensional (2-D)gel electrophoresis/mass spectrometry approach. METHODS Following removal of albumin and IgG,the plasma from 5 heroin abusers and 5 normal controls was separated by 2-D gel electrophoresis using immobi-lized pH gradients 4 -7 drystrip and PAGE. Gel ima-ges were analyzed using ImageMaster Elit 5.0. Differ-ential proteins were selected and analyzed through tan-dem mass spectrometry. RESULTS Average number for samples was 350±21 protein spots. In them there were 5 spots that differed by more than 1.5 fold be-tween the two groups obtained through image analysis.Through tandem mass spectrometry above spots were identified as fibrinogen γ (increased by 5 fold), hu-man α1-B-glycoprotein (decreased to 1/1.8 of control group), uncleaved α1-antitrypsin (increased by 2.5 fold), chain of transthyretin (decreased to 1/2 of con-trol group ) and ccruloplasmin (increased by 6.6 fold ). CONCLUSION There are differences between heroin abusers and normal controls in the blood plasma proteome. Some proteins may have a role in the damage to central nervous system through heroin abuse. Such proteins may provide novel biomarkers for diagnosis and therapeutic targeting, as well as clues forunderstanding the mechanism of heroin abuse.