The effects of paraquat on cultured human embryonic cells.

The effects of paraquat on human embryonic somatic cells were studied. Monolayer cultured cells, from several different organs, were exposed to various concentrations of paraquat. Then, the cells were stained with nigrosine and Sudan IV to demonstrate dead or damaged cells and fatty granules, respectively. The lowest paraquat concentration that caused morphological changes varied from 1 to 10 ppm, and the lowest concentration that caused fatty degeneration varied from 1 to 5 ppm. In both types of staining, the lowest degenerative concentration was lower as the culture generation was younger, and the degree of degeneration did not differ with the cell origin. The protein content per cell in paraquat-treated cells was not significantly decreased in comparison with control cells.