iTRAQ quantitatively proteomic analysis of the hippocampus in a rat model of accumulative microwave-induced cognitive impairment

Central nervous system is sensitive and vulnerable to microwave radiation. Numerous studies have reported that microwave could damage cognitive functions, such as impairment of learning and memory ability. However, the biological effects and mechanisms of accumulative microwave radiation on cognitive functions were remained unexplored. In this study, we analyzed differential expressed proteins in rat models of microwave-induced cognitive impairment by iTRAQ high-resolution proteomic method. Rats were exposed to 2.856 GHz microwave (S band), followed by 1.5 GHz microwave exposure (L band) both at an average power density of 10 mW/cm² (SL10 group). Sham-exposed (control group), 2.856 GHz microwave-exposed (S10 group), or 1.5 GHz microwave-exposed (L10 group) rats were used as controls. Hippocampus was isolated, and total proteins were extracted at 7 days after exposure, for screening differential expressed proteins. We found that accumulative microwave exposure induced 391 differential expressed proteins, including 9 downregulated and 382 upregulated proteins. The results of GO analysis suggested that the biological processes of these proteins were related to the adhesion, translation, brain development, learning and memory, neurogenesis, and so on. The cellular components mainly focused on the extracellular exosome, membrane, and mitochondria. The molecular function contained the protein complex binding, protein binding, and ubiquitin-protein transferase activity. And, the KEGG pathways mainly included the synaptic vesicle cycle, long-term potentiation, long-term depression, glutamatergic synapse, and calcium signaling pathways. Importantly, accumulative exposure (SL10 group) caused more differential expressed proteins than single exposure (S10 group or L10 group). In conclusion, 10 mW/cm² S or L band microwave induced numerous differential expressed proteins in the hippocampus, while accumulative exposure evoked strongest responses. These proteins were closely associated with cognitive functions and were sensitive to microwave.