Saliha Boumaza-Bourioune; Aicha Belkebir; Samia Neggazi; Leila Smail; Sihem Berdja; Hamid Sahraoui; Khouloud Hemila & Souhila Aouichat-Bouguerra

Resveratrol (RES) and quercetine (QRC), is a promising agent relevant for both cancer chemoprevention and treatment via several signaling pathways, involved in their anticancer activity related to its chemotherapeutic potential, associated with the induction of ROS generation in cancer cells, leading to apoptosis. In our study, we have summarized the mechanisms of action of RES and QRC, and their pharmacological implications and potential therapeutic applications in cancer therapy. After treatment of Hep 2 cells with QRC or RES, the death pathways such as the cytochrome c release, ERK1/2 and IRS-1 pathways were upregulated, while cell survival pathway, including PI3K/AKT were downregulated. The RES and QRC caused oncosis, cells hypertrophy, hypercondensatin of chromatin, rupture of the plasma membrane and nuclear membrane, and formation of apoptotic bodies. Morphometric measurements of some cellular and nuclear parameters showed that RES and QRC induced an increase in cells and nuclear size, the nucleocytoplasmic ratio remained below 1 (N-Cyt R < 1), sign of low nuclear activity. The RES and QRC induced apoptosis of Hep2 cells by increasing of oxidative stress markers, MDA, and by modulating detoxifying enzymes, CAT and SOD. Our study results prove antiproliferative and proapoptotic properties of quercetin and resveratrol with regard to larynx cancer.

KEY WORDS: Hep2 cells; Morphology; Apoptosis; Oxidative stress; Cell hypertrophy.

BOUMAZA-BOURIOUNE, S; BELKEBIR, A.; NEGGAZI, S.; SMAIL, L.; BERDJA, S.; SAHRAOU, H.; HEMILA, K. & AOUICHAT-BOUGUERRA. S. Morphological and morphometric analysis, apoptosis and oxidative stress study in Hep 2 cells treated by resveratrol or quercetine. Int. J. Morphol., 42(4):1039-1048, 2024.