[CAS NO. 64-86-8]  Colchicine

Exposure to 1μM Colchicine, a microtubule disrupting agent, triggered apoptosis in rat cerebellar granule cells (CGC). Colchicine treatment also causes alterations in Ca ²⁺ responses to chemical depolarization and a moderate, but progressive, increase in the resting intracellular Ca ²⁺ concentration ^[1] . Colchicine exerts its biological effects through binding to the soluble tubulin heterodimer, the major component of the microtubule. The Colchicine binding abilities of tubulins from a variety of sources are summarized, and the mechanism of Colchicine binding to brain tubulin is explored in depth. The relationship between colchicinoid structure and tubulin binding activity provides insight into the structural features of Colchicine responsible for high affinity binding to tubulin and is reviewed for analogs in the Colchicine series. The thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of the association are described and evaluated in terms of the binding mechanism. Colchicine binding to tubulin results in unusual alterations in the low energy electronic spectra of Colchicine. The spectroscopic features of Colchicine bound to tubulin are discussed in terms of the nature of the Colchicine-tubulin complex. Attempts to locate the high affinity Colchicine binding site on tubulin are presented ^[2] . Colchicine treatment inhibits indomethacin-induced small intestinal injury by 86% (1 mg/kg) and 94% (3 mg/kg) as indicated by the lesion index 24 h after indomethacin administration. Colchicine inhibits the protein expression of cleaved caspase-1 and mature IL-1β, without affecting the mRNA expression of NLRP3 and IL-1β ^[3] .

MCE has not independently confirmed the accuracy of these methods. They are for reference only.