APOPTOSIS AND NECROSIS - DYNAMICS OF STRUCTURAL-CHANGES IN CELLS CULTIVATED IN-VITRO AFTER TREATMENT WITH XENOBIOTICS

Cell death has recently become a very widely discussed topic, and a great deal of information has become available regarding physiological (programmed) cell death or apoptosis. Contrary to the situation with apoptosis, few new developments have occurred in the field of xenobiotic-induced cell death. The purpose of this study was to analyse morphological changes related to in vitro induced cell death. The main emphasis was on detailed analysis of the dynamics of structural changes. The experimental models of cell death include both apoptosis (Cisplatin) and necrosis (Tween 20). Cells of stabilized cell line Hep2 (human epithelial cells) were used in this study. The dynamics of structural changes were followed using time-lapse microcinematography of living cells observed in phase contrast. The experiments followed the same population of cells before, during and after treatment with model compounds. It is possible to distinguish characteristic types of cell death in vitro (from morphological criteria), but many intermediate types of cell death can also be found. Cellular responses to the presence of one particular xenobiotic appear to be complex, dependent on the dosage: even in a single treated cell population, different morphological responses were observed.