Paraquat（PQ）是世界上商业重要且有效的除草剂。然而，由于毒性较高，导致急性器官损伤和不同的并发症，主要是肺部和肾脏。阿魏酸（FA），4-羟基-3-甲氧基肉桂酸，具有多重药理学影响。尚未报道FA对PQ中毒引起的人类胚胎肺成纤维细胞损伤的保护作用。尽管FA有许多益处，但其特点是水溶性差，生物利用度低，植物化学物稳定性差。为了解决这个问题，利用β-环糊精纳米海绵（β-CD NSs）来增加FA的溶解度，将其嫁接到β-CD NSs中形成β-CD@FA NSs。本研究的目的是首次检测β-CD@FA NS对于PQ中毒引起的MRC-5人肺细胞损伤的保护作用。在与0.2μg/mL PQ共培养的情况下，通过MTS实验研究了在不同浓度的FA/β-CD@FA NSs下MRC-5细胞的存活率。流式细胞术研究确定凋亡情况。使用相应的生物化学试剂盒检测丙二醛（MDA）、超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）和过氧化氢酶（CAT）水平。与PQ组相比，FA组以及主要是β-CD@FA NSs干预组的细胞活性、CAT和SOD水平均显著增加，而凋亡和MDA水平明显降低。检测了炎症因子肿瘤坏死因子α（TNF-α）、白细胞介素6（IL-6）和白细胞介素22（IL-22）。结果表明，β-CD@FA NSs能够通过增强抗氧化应激能力和调节炎症反应来抑制PQ引起的细胞损伤。© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Paraquat (PQ) is a commercially important and effective herbicide in the world. Nevertheless, it has higher toxicity causing acute organ damage and different complications, mainly in the lungs and kidneys. Ferulic acid (FA), 4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamic acid imposes multiple pharmacological impacts. No protective effect of FA on PQ poisoning-caused human embryonic lung fibroblast damage has not been reported. Despite their many beneficial effects, FA is characterized by poor water solubility, low bioavailability, and phytochemical instability. To solve the problem, β-cyclodextrin nanosponge (β-CD NSs) was utilized to increase the solubility of FA so that it was grafted into β-CD NSs to establish β-CD@FA NSs. The purpose of this work was to examine for the first time the protective effect of β-CD@FA NS on MRC-5 human lung cells damages induced by PQ poisoning. MTS assay was performed to investigate the viability of MRC-5 cells at different concentrations of FA/β-CD@FA NSs when cells were co-cultured with 0.2 μg/mL PQ. The flow cytometry study was carried out to determine apoptosis. Malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) levels were detected using appropriate biochemistry kits. Compared with the PQ group, the cell activity, CAT, and SOD levels were significantly increased in the FA and chiefly in β-CD@FA NSs intervention groups, whereas apoptosis and MDA levels were markedly decreased. The inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and interleukin 22 (IL-22) were detected. The results demonstrate that β-CD@FA NSs can inhibit PQ-induced cell damage by enhancing antioxidant stress capacity and regulation of inflammatory responses.© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.