The protective effect of antioxidant from the perspective of cell morphology and motility

Cell morphology and motility are crucial trait of somatic cell phenotype, closely linked to cellular function and susceptibility to external stimuli. Oxidative damage impacts cell functionality, ultimately influencing cell morphology and motility. In this study, the changes in cell state were characterized and quantified through dynamic analysis of cell morphodynamic parameters, thereby reflecting the impairment of cellular function. The protective effects of antioxidants on oxygen-damaged cells were assessed in terms of cellular morphology and motility, based on the aforementioned findings. In this study, the protective effect of pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) on cells in d-galactose-induced oxidative damage model was evaluated using the long-term live cell imaging technique, focusing on cell morphodynamic parameters. Additionally, cell proliferation and metabolic activity were assessed at the end to investigate the relationship between cell function and morphodynamics. The results showed that oxidative damage compromised cellular proliferation (p < 0.001) and metabolic function, while also inducing alterations in cellular morphology and motility. Morphological parameters (cellular branches, surface, nuclear area, shape factor and quotient) and motility parameters (cell migration velocity and directionality) effectively characterized and quantified the observed trends in cellular morphology and motility. Meanwhile, real-time analysis showed that PQQ improved oxygen-induced morphological changes in cells, protected cellular motility effectively (p < 0.01), and exhibited significant protective effects during the initial stages of injury. Phase relationship analysis data revealed the correlation between cell morphology, motility, and function. This implies that quantifying cell morphodynamics could offer a novel perspective for assessing how antioxidants shield cells against oxidative damage.