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Updated: Nov 8, 2025
Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Whole Kidney, Medulla, and Cortical Tubules in Diabetic Pathogenesis of Kidney Injury in Mice
Published on: May 2, 2025
Proteomics analysis in the kidney of mice following oral feeding Realgar
Sheng Zhang1, Chao Li2, Tingting Feng3
1Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 300139, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Control of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai Institute for Food and Drug Control, Shanghai, 201203, China.
Ethnopharmacological Relevance:
Realgar, a famous traditional Chinese mineral medicine, has been toxic to the renal system. However, the underlying mechanism of Realgar nephrotoxicity is still unclear.
Aim Of The Study:
This study aimed to investigate the potential mechanism of Realgar-induced nephrotoxicity by using a label-free quantitative proteomic method.
Materials And Methods:
36 mice were randomly divided into four groups: Control group, 0.5-, 1.0, and 2.0 g/kg Realgar group. After one week, serum biochemical parameters and renal histopathological examination were performed. Label-free quantitative proteomics was used to identify differentially expressed proteins which were subsequently analyzed with bioinformatics methods. Western blot was utilized to verify the six representative protein expressions.
Results:
The results showed that 2.0 g/kg Realgar significantly increased blood urea nitrogen and induced the formation of tube cast of renal tubules, while the lower-dose of 0.5 g/kg and 1.0 g/kg Realgar showed no changes. Label-free proteomic analysis identified 3138 proteins, and 272 of those proteins were screened for significant changes in a dose-dependent manner. Functional enrichment analysis suggested that these proteins could affect the apoptotic process and oxidative stress. Representative proteins in the 2.0 g/kg Realgar group, including Cat, Bad, Cycs, Nqo1, Podxl, and Hmox1, were verified by western blot.
Conclusions:
The results in this study suggest that apoptosis and oxidative stress might be related to the Realgar-induced nephrotoxicity in mice. Moreover, the strategy of proteomics could contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms of nephrotoxicity in mice exposed to Realgar.
