Comparative Proteomics Based on ¹⁸O Labeling to Evaluate the Hepatotoxicity of Tris (2,3-dibromopropyl) Isocyanuratein Rats

Detecting protein expression levels in organisms exposed to environmental pollutants can help us understand the action mechanism of toxicity. In the present study, adult female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats received a consecutive intraperitoneal injection of tris(2,3-dibromopropyl) isocyanurate (TBC) for seven days, and the ¹⁶O/¹⁸O labeling comparative proteomic approach was used to study the change of liver proteome in these rats. Thirty six differential proteins were identified between the control group and the high-dose-exposed group (8 mg/kg), of which, twenty eight proteins were down-regulated and eight proteins were up-regulated. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that most of the differential proteins were related with the metabolic and cellular processes. In addition, the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), and glutathione (GSH) in liver were measured to evaluate the oxidative stress status induced by TBC exposure. Together, these findings showed that TBC might be toxic to liver by disrupting metabolic process and apoptosis. The results might provide a better insight into the mechanism of toxicity induced by TBC.