Fig. 1: Bioinformatics Analysis Based on GEO Data Identifies Key Gene Plin4 in Hippocampal Tissue of B[a]P-Treated Mice.

a Heatmap showing gene expression changes in the hippocampus of mice following acute B[a]P exposure. b Volcano plot showing the overall distribution of differentially expressed genes, with upregulated and downregulated genes marked based on FDR correction (FDR P-value < 0.05, |log₂FC| ≥ 3). c The GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis results show biological functions and signaling pathways associated with the DEGs, including neurotransmitter receptor activity, synaptic plasticity, membrane potential regulation, and neurodegenerative diseases such as AD and ferroptosis. d PPI network illustrating interactions between DEGs, with BC analysis identifying genes key to lipid metabolism and neurobiology. e KMeans clustering analysis categorizing genes into three clusters based on expression levels (log₂FC) and BC scores, with Cluster 1 showing a strong association with lipid metabolism. f Venn diagram showing overlap between KMeans clustering and ferroptosis-related genes, identifying Plin4 and Slc2a1 as key genes, with Plin4 significantly upregulated in hippocampal tissue of B[a]P-treated mice, suggesting its role in neurotoxicity. g Comparison of expression levels between Plin4 and Slc2a1, with Plin4 identified as a core gene in B[a]P-induced neurotoxicity. Data are presented as mean ± SEM(n = 4 mice per group) *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, ****P < 0.0001.