Proteomic analysis of acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity and identification of heme oxygenase 1 as a potential plasma biomarker of liver injury

Abstract

Purpose: Overdose of acetaminophen (APAP) is a major cause of acute liver failure. This study was aimed to identify pathways related to hepatotoxicity and potential biomarkers of liver injury.

Experimental design: Rats were treated with low (100 mg/kg) and high (1250 mg/kg) doses of APAP, and liver tissues at 6 and 24 h post-treatment were analyzed using a proteomic approach of 16O/18O labeling and 2D-LC-MS/MS.

Results: Molecular pathways evolved progressively from scattered and less significant perturbations to more focused and significant alterations in a dose-and time-dependent manner upon APAP treatment. Imbalanced expression of hemeoxygenase 1 (HMOX1) and biliverdin reductase A (BLVRA) was associated with hepatotoxicity. Protein abundance changes of a total of 31 proteins were uniquely correlated to liver damage, among which a dramatic increase of HMOX1 levels in plasma was observed. Liver injury-associated significant elevation of plasma HMOX1 was further validated in mice treated with APAP.

Conclusions and clinical relevance: This study unveiled molecular changes associated with APAP-induced liver toxicity at the pathway levels and identified HMOX1 as a potential plasma biomarker of liver injury.