Abstract
Cadmium (Cd), a prevalent environmental pollutant, poses significant health risks, particularly to the skin, where it can induce oxidative stress and inflammation. This study aimed to characterize the proteomic alterations in HaCaT keratinocytes exposed to cadmium through a comprehensive proteomic analysis. We exposed HaCaT cells to two concentrations of cadmium chloride (25 µM and 50 µM) and assessed cell viability using the MTT assay, observing a dose-dependent decrease in viability, particularly at concentrations above 50 µM. Proteomic analysis via LC-MS/MS identified 771, 689, and 658 unique proteins in control, 25 µM, and 50 µM cadmium-exposed cells, respectively, with 259 proteins significantly regulated upon exposure. Notably, 124 proteins were linked to cell death, and 8 were associated with ferroptosis, a regulated form of cell death characterized by lipid peroxidation. Validation through RT-qPCR confirmed the upregulation of ferroptosis-related proteins, including Transferrin receptor protein 1 (TFRC) and Metallothioneins (MT1F and MT2A), in cadmium-exposed cells. These findings elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which cadmium exposure affects keratinocyte physiology and suggest potential targets for therapeutic intervention in cadmium-induced skin disorders.
The article to be published