Serum proteomic analysis reveals high frequency of haptoglobin deficiency and elevated thyroxine level in heroin addicts.

Heroin addiction is a chronic, complex disease, often accompanied by other concomitant disorders, which may encumber effective prevention and treatment. To explore the differences in expression profiles of serum proteins in control and heroin addicts, we used two-dimensional electrophoresis coupled to MALDI-TOF/TOF, and identified 4 proteins of interest. Following validation of the increase in serum transthyretin, we assessed serum levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxine (T4), and observed a robust increase in T4 in heroin addicts compared to controls.

Serum proteomics of methamphetamine addicts and up-regulation of complement factor H related to methamphetamine addiction.

Methamphetamine (METH) is a new type of drug with strong tolerance and addiction. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the processes of METH addiction are still not fully understood. To determine possible biomarkers and mechanisms that are responsible for METH addiction, a 2-DE based proteomics approach was used to evaluate the changes in protein expression of the serum in Chinese patients addicted to METH, which to the best of our knowledge is the first study of its kind.

Proteome studies on liver tissue in a phenobarbital-induced rat model.

Many drugs may affect the activity of cytochrome P450 (CYP), which is a major source of adverse drug interactions (ADR). Phenobarbital (PB) is the typical inducer of cytochrome P450. The aim of our study was to determine the changes in the cytosolic proteins expression in rat liver at a protein level following induction of cytochrome P450.

Down-regulation of DJ-1 protein in the ejaculated spermatozoa from Chinese asthenozoospermia patients.

Objective: To determine whether the expression of DJ-1 protein, whose levels in spermatozoa have been reported to be highly correlated with male infertility caused by toxicants, is changed in spermatozoa of Chinese asthenozoospermia patients.

Design: DJ-1 measurement by Western blotting, quantitive ELISA, and isoelectric-focusing electrophoresis (IFE) combined with immunoblotting.

Setting: Academic medical center and research laboratories.