Toxicoproteomic analysis of deltamethrin exposure in neuroblastoma cell lines

Abstract

Background Deltamethrin, a type II pyrethroid insecticide, has been widely used due to its high efficacy against insects and low toxicity to mammals. However, recently, potential adverse health effects during deltamethrin exposure have been reported. Methods A proteomic analysis using two-dimensional electrophoresis with mass spectrometry was performed, and the proteomic data were validated by western blotting. Antioxidant enzyme activity was also measured by spectrophotometric analysis. Results The 13 differentially expressed proteins, of which 8 were up-regulated and 5 down-regulated, are involved in a variety of cellular functions including protein folding, cytoskeleton regulation, and splicing process. The activities of antioxidant enzymes and acetylcholinesterase were also altered by deltamethrin exposure. Conclusion Differential protein expression caused by deltamethrin exposure in neuroblastoma cell lines could allow us to develop biomarkers for deltamethrin toxicity, and pursue future studies to assess the molecular mechanisms of deltamethrin toxicity.