ObjectiveTo compare the proteomics discrepancies among normal adrenal tissue, adrenal adenomas, adrenal cortical carcinoma,thereby to discover the differential diagnosis of adrenal cortical tumors and the onset of adrenal cortical carcinoma, and to investigate the transfer mechanism and therapeutic targets of adrenal cortical carcinoma. MethodsTotal protein was extracted from nine normal adrenal tissue, nine adrenocortical adenoma tissue samples and nine adrenocortical carcinoma samples, respectively. Immobilized pH gradient two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to separate the total protein of adrenocortical adenoma tissue samples and adrenocortical carcinoma samples after protein was purified, imageMaster 2DE software was used to find out differential protein after silver staining. Then, MALDI TOF/TOF mass spectrometric identification of differential protein spots was conducted. Peptide mass fingerprints and query were achieved to find out matching proteins in the SwissProt database. ResultsDielectrophoresis silver staining map had good repeatability, protein spots of normal adrenal tissue, adrenocortical adenoma tissue and adrenal cortical carcinoma tissue were (2 247±87), (2 375±142) and (2 143±107), respectively. The expression of ATP synthase (ATPA), mitochondria 1Q complement binding protein (C1QBP), cathepsin D (CATD)in three groups were diminishing,while the expression of PI-PLC X protein was increased, the cancer group had the lowest expression of 14-3-3ζ / δ , and the adenoma group had the highest expression. ConclusionsThe differentially expressed proteins among the three groups are associate with energy metabolism, organizational structure and some of the effects of protease, they are involved in tumor formation and invasion of tumors in the adrenal cortex, and may be some potential molecular markers to identify benign and malignant adrenal tumor, and become therapeutic target of cancer.

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