Tandem mass tag-based proteomics analysis of type 2 diabetes mellitus with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in mice treated with acupuncture

Abstract

Objective: To explore the proteomics profiles of hepatocytes of mice treated with acupuncture for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods: We used a Tandem mass tag (TMT)-based quantitative proteomics approach to identify proteins with potential molecular mechanisms associated with acupuncture interventions for T2DM with NAFLD. Results: Acupuncture effectively improved body weight, blood glucose, and insulin levels in T2DM with NAFLD mouse models and reversed steatosis within hepatocytes. Quantitative TMT- based proteomics analysis identified a total of 4710 quantifiable proteins and 1226 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the model control group (MCG) compared to the normal control group (NCG). The Acupuncture Treatment Group (ATG) presented in 122 DEPs compared to the MCG group. We performed a bioinformatics analysis, which revealed that DEPs enriched in the KEGG pathway after acupuncture treatment were mainly involved in the PPAR signalling pathway, fatty acid biosynthesis, fatty acid metabolism, fatty acid elongation, fat digestion, and absorption. We used parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) technology to explore the association of aldehyde oxidase 1 (Aox1), acyl-coenzyme A thioesterase 2 (Acot2), perilipin-2 (Plin2), acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (Acc), NADP-dependent malic enzyme (Me1), fatty acid synthase (Fasn), ATP-citrate synthase (Acly), fatty acid binding protein (Fabp2) with lipid synthesis, fatty acid oxidation and hepatocyte steatosis. Conclusions: Our results show that acupuncture can regulate the protein expression of T2DM in the NAFLD mice model, and can effectively improve hepatocyte steatosis, and has potential benefits for the clinical treatment of this disease.

Acupuncture improved hepatic steatosis in HFD-induced NAFLD rats by regulating intestinal microbiota

“…Previous clinical and experimental studies ( Jiang et al, 2011 ; Li et al, 2021b ) have demonstrated that acupuncture has beneficial effects on lipid metabolism and type 2 diabetes complicated by NAFLD ( Li et al, 2021a ). The present study further proved that acupuncture could effectively improve lipid metabolism and alleviate hepatic steatosis in NAFLD rats, which is consistent with previously published findings ( Zeng et al, 2014 ; Ma et al, 2020 ; Wang et al, 2022 ). However, we did not investigate the mechanism of action of acupuncture treatment in NAFLD, which should be explored in future studies.…”

Proteomics and its application in the research of acupuncture: An updated review

“…There are some commonly used acupoint combinations for treating digestive system diseases by acupuncture [ 119 , 120 ]. For example, ST36-CV12 and ST36-PC6 have been applied to ameliorate gastrointestinal disorders ( Table 4 ) [ [121] , [122] , [123] , [124] , [125] ].…”

Lack of TRPV1 Channel Modulates Mouse Gene Expression and Liver Proteome with Glucose Metabolism Changes

“…Among these, FABP2 is associated with lipid droplet accumulation in HepG2 cells, being a downstream target of PPARγ as well [68]. It is also related to lipid metabolism changes in the liver of type 2 diabetes mellitus in a nonalcoholic fatty mice model [69].…”