Abstract
Arsenic (As) is a toxic element, and long-term exposure to As can cause neurotoxicity. The bioactive natural compound Dictyophora polysaccharide (DIP) from edible plants has been reported to reduce the toxicity of As. In this study, As poisoning was simulated by feeding As-containing feed, followed by proteomic analysis after one month of DIP treatment. The proteomic analysis showed that 145, 276, and 97 proteins were differentially expressed between the As-treated rats and control rats (As/Ctrl group), DIP-treated + As-treated and As-treated rats (DIP + As/As group), and DIP + As and control rats (DIP + As/Ctrl group), respectively. The differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the As/Ctrl and DIP + As/Ctrl groups were mainly related to apoptosis, synapses, energy metabolism, nervous system development, and mitochondria. After DIP treatment, the expression of the dysregulated proteins in the As/Ctrl group was restored or reversed, and 12 of them were reversed proteins. These results suggest that energy metabolism disorder, apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction, nervous system development injury, synaptic dysfunction, and oxidative stress may be the key pathological mechanisms of As-induced nerve injury in rats. DIP can restore or reverse the expression of related proteins, which may be the main mechanism of its intervention in As poisoning.