DIA proteomics analysis reveals the mechanism of folic acid-induced acute kidney injury and the effects of icariin

The complexities of acute kidney injury (AKI), a multifaceted pathological occurrence, are not fully understood. At present, there is a lack of effective pharmaceutical treatments in clinical practice. Studies have shown that icariin has beneficial effects in models of acute kidney injury (AKI) caused by cisplatin and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The aim is to explore the mechanisms that cause folic acid (FA)-induced AKI and examine the protective effects of icariin against this condition. To establish a mouse model of AKI, FA was administered via intraperitoneal injection. Icariin was used as the drug intervention. The model and the impact of drug intervention were assessed using measurements of renal function parameters, staining with hematoxylin and eosin, and Q-PCR. The analysis of protein expression changes in the control, model, and icariin treatment groups was conducted using proteomics. KEGG signaling pathway analysis indicates that differential expressed proteins are enriched in the component and coagulation cascades signaling pathway. Through protein-protein interaction network analysis, it was found that compared to the normal group, the expression of Fibrinogen and other proteins was significantly upregulated at the center of the protein interaction network in the model group. After drug treatment, the expression of these proteins was significantly downregulated. The validation experiment supports the above results. In conclusion, this study clarified the molecular mechanism of FA induced acute renal injury from the proteomics level, and provided target selection for AKI; At the same time, the mechanism of icariin in the treatment of AKI was analyzed from the proteomics level.