hAMSC-CM Attenuates Paraquat-Induced A549 Cell Damage by Reducing Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Oxidative Stress

Abstract Acute paraquat (PQ) poisoning results in severe acute lung injury and pulmonary fibrosis, and there is no specific antidote; thus, the mortality rate of PQ poisoning is extremely high. The mechanism of poisoning may be associated with endoplasmic reticulum stress, oxidative stress damage and organ/tissue inflammation. Recent studies have reported that human amnion-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs) secrete a variety of cytokines, and that hAMSC-conditioned medium (CM) has anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether hAMSC-CM exerts protective effects against PQ toxicity in A549 cells. The data demonstrated that the activity of A549 cells was decreased after 24 h of PQ exposure and that the cell viability of the hAMSC-CM intervention group was higher compared with the PQ-only group. hAMSC-CM intervention decreased cell damage, apoptosis rates, oxidative stress indexes, Bax/Bcl-2 ratios and CHOP expression levels in poisoned cells by CCK-8 experiment, apoptosis detection, ROS content detection, and Western blot analysis respectively. In conclusion, hAMSC-CM may attenuate the cell damage caused by PQ by reducing endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxidative stress.