Tungsten modulates the toxicity of paraquat for epithelial cells

The modulation of paraquat toxicity by tungsten was studied in vitro using cultured MDCK epithelial cells. MDCK cells were cultured in minimal essential medium with or without 1 ppm tungsten. Proliferation of cells cultured with tungsten was not inhibited after exposure to 0.25 mM or 0.5 mM paraquat. In addition, lactate dehydrogenase release into the culture medium was lower for tungsten-treated cells than for cells cultured without tungsten. Cells cultured in medium alone showed reduced viability compared with controls after exposure to 0.5 mM paraquat, but 0.25 mM paraquat did not decrease cell viability. Tungsten-treated cells showed no decrease viability in after exposure to either concentration of paraquat. Cells exposed to paraquat developed a honeycomb morphology with scanty cytoplasm and abnormal nucleoli. However, these major structural changes were not observed in cells cultured with tungsten. Our study showed that cell damage after paraquat exposure was modulated by addition of tungsten to the culture medium. It is suggested that cytosolic xanthine oxidase activity was reduced by tungsten, leading to less production of superoxide and other radicals and thus conferring resistance to paraquat toxicity.