Modulating effect of resveratrol and quercetin on oral cancer cell growth and proliferation

Resveratrol and quercetin are polyphenols which have been detected in significant amounts in green vegetables, citrus fruits and red grape wines. Beneficial effects attributed to these compounds include anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antitumor properties. The effect of resveratrol and quercetin on growth of human oral cancer cells is unknown. Resveratrol and quercetin, in concentrations of 1 to 100 mu M, were incubated in triplicates with human oral squamous carcinoma cells SCC-25 in DMEM-HAM's F-12 supplemented with fetal calf serum and antibiotics in an atmosphere of 5% COP in air at 37 degrees C for 72 h. Cell growth was determined by counting the number of viable cells with a hemocytometer, Cell proliferation was measured by means of incorporation of [H-3]thymidine in nuclear DNA. Resveratrol at 10 and 100 mu M induced significant dose-dependent inhibition in cell growth as well as in DNA synthesis, Quercetin exhibited a biphasic effect, stimulation at 1 and 10 mu M, and minimal inhibition at 100 mu M in cell growth and DNA synthesis. Combining 50 mu M of resveratrol with 10, 25 and 50 mu M of quercetin resulted in a gradual and significant increase in the inhibitory effect of quercetin on cell growth and DNA synthesis. We conclude that resveratrol or a combination of resveratrol and quercetin, in concentrations equivalent to that present in red wines, are effective inhibitors of oral squamous carcinoma cell (SCC-25) growth and proliferation, and warrant further investigation as cancer chemopreventive agents. [(C) 1999 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.].