TMT-based quantitative proteomics reveals that electroacupuncture has neuroprotective effect on Alzheimer's disease rats through synaptic vesicle cycle and glutamatergic synapse signal pathways

Background༚Recently, there has been increasing evidence that acupuncture as a kind of Traditional Chinese therapeutic method is significantly effective and safe way to treat Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study provides supporting evidence and mechanism explanation of the therapeutic benefits of EA in the treatment of AD. Method, In this study, we used tandem mass tagged (TMT) quantitative proteomics and bioinformatics analysis to seek core differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the typical pathways. And the DEPs were validated by parallel reaction monitoring (PRM). Results, weidentified 211 proteins thatwere differentiallyexpressed among the different groups. Finally, we identified the following key DEPs:A0A0G2QC31(protein tyrosine phosphatase, PTP) and P31647 (Sodium- and chloride-dependent GABA transporter 3, GAT3), which are enriched in the synaptic vesicle pathway and glutamatergic synaptic pathway respectively.Validation of protein expression by PRM, it was found that the downregulation of GAT3 and PTP in the hippocampus of AD rats after EA treatment. These key proteins and related signaling pathways might be the possible mechanisms of AD treatment. Conclusion, EA may be providing a neuroprotective effect in cognitive disorders through glutamate synaptic signaling pathway and synaptic vesicle signalingpathway in Aβ1–42-induced AD rat model.