The protective effects of bone mesenchymal stem cells on paraquat-induced acute lung injury via the muc5b and ERK/MAPK signaling pathways.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the protective effect of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on paraquat (PQ)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) and investigate the possible underlying mechanisms. METHODS: ) 1 h after intraperitoneal injection of PQ. The cell apoptosis rate and mitochondrial membrane potential in rat pulmonary alveolar type II epithelial (ATII) cells were quantitated by flow cytometry. IL-17, IL-6, and MUC5B levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and ATII culture medium were measured. Lung tissues were collected to determine the wet-to-dry (W/D) ratios and lung injury scores, in addition to the protein and mRNA expression levels of ERK1/2, Bcl-2, Bax, and muc5b. RESULTS: mRNA expression. Furthermore, BMSCs attenuated ERK1/2 activation upon PQ-induced ALI in lung tissue. CONCLUSION: BMSC therapy can protect against PQ-induced ALI in rats. A possible mechanism is the suppression of the muc5b and ERK/MAPK signaling pathways, resulting in an improvement in the endothelial permeability and a decrease in inflammation and cell apoptosis.