Identification of hub genes related to Alzheimer's disease by bioinformatics analysis and observation of the pathological characteristics

Objectives: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that often occurs in the elderly population, with complex pathogenesis. The aim of this paper is to explore related indicators in AD. Methods: Two microarray datasets associated with ‘Alzheimer’s disease’ were screened and the common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were determined by GEO2R. GO and KEGG pathway analysis of DEGs was performed by DAVID. Hub genes were screened by protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. The AD mouse model was constructed and HE staining was carried out to observe the pathological characteristics of brain tissues. The expression of oxidative stress related indicators in serum and hub genes in tissues were detected by ELISA and qRT-PCR, respectively. Results: There were 259 common DEGs in the GSE1297 and the GSE5281 datasets. Six hub genes, ACTB, H3C12, CREBBP, CXCR4, NFKBIA, and SNAP25, were selected by PPI network. HE staining demonstrated that the hippocampal region in the AD group showed obvious atrophy, and degeneration and necrosis of scattered or continuous neurons could be seen. ELISA results showed that the contents of SOD and GSH-px in the serum of the AD group were significantly reduced, with increased MDA. Conclusion: Hub genes involved in the development of AD were identified by bioinformatics analysis, including ACTB, H3C12, CREBBP, CXCR4, NFKBIA, and SNAP25. Oxidative stress is associated with AD development.