English
General description
Colchicine is a tricyclic alkaloid that can stay in circulation for 20 to 40 hours post intake. Leucocytes harbour maximum colchicine.[1] It contains three hexameric rings termed A, B and C.[2]
Application
Colchicine has been used:
as an inhibitor of tubulin polymerization in bone-marrow-derived macrophages[3]
for the inhibition of in vitro neurite outgrowth in human neuronal cells[4]
as microtubule destabilizer to induce peripheral neuropathy in induced pluripotent stem cell derived neurons (iPSC-Neurons)[5]
Biochem/physiol Actions
Colchicine interacts with albumin and binds to tubulin. Its association with tubulin impacts autophagic vacuole fusion with lysosomes.[1] It inhibits tyrosine kinases and phospholipases. Colchicine may be useful for treating acute coronary syndromes.[2] It is prescribed for treating rheumatologic conditions including familial mediterranean fever (FMF) and acute gouty arthritis.[6]
Colchicine is an inhibitor of microtubule polymerization which blocks chromosome segregation during meiosis. Consequently, Colchicine is used to induce polyploidy (tetraploid) in plant cells.
Preparation Note
Preparation and Use
