Failure of a glaucoma filtering surgery mainly results from scarring at thefiltering wound. Postoperative proliferation of fibroblasts plays an imrortant role in scar tissue formation. Colchicine is a cytoplasmic microtubule inhibitor capable of inhibiting fibroblast proliferation. The effect of colchicine on fibroblast proliferation at the filtering wound after filtering surgery was investigated. Posterior lip sclerectomies were performed in each eye of albino rabbits.Intraocular pressures, conjunctival fibrosis, histologic findings and drug tox-icities were examined postoperatively under the topical or oral administration of colchicine. Reductions of intraocular Pressure and conjunctival fibrosis in colchicinetreated groups after filtering surgory were statistically significant (p< 0.05), and changes in the topical administration group were more significant than in the oral administration group (pl 0.05). Histologicallyr reductions of active fibroblasts and collagen fibers at the filtering wound and the subconjunctival area were seen in colchicine treated eyes.Histologic changes were more prominent in the topical administration group. Signs of orular and systemic toxicity were absent. The above results suggest that administration of colchicine, especially topicaladministration, can increase the success rate of filtering surgery.
Administration, Topical ; Animals ; Colchicine/*pharmacology ; Fibroblasts/*drug effects ; Glaucoma/*surgery ; Rabbits

Amino Acids ; isolation & purification ; Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Binding Sites ; Colchicine ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Microtubules ; drug effects ; physiology ; Paclitaxel ; pharmacology ; Tubulin ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Vinblastine ; pharmacology

In order to enhance the efficiency of sheep somatic cell nuclear transfer, we used a chemically assisted enucleation with colchicine to study the effects of the concentration of colchicine, the incubation time of oocytes in colchicine and the maturation time of oocytes on the enucleation rates and the development of reconstructed embryos. The results showed that 1) there were no significant differences in the rates of cytoplast protrusion and enucleation between oocytes that were incubated in colchicine (0.4 microg/mL) for 0.5 h and oocytes that were incubated in colchicine (0.4 microg/mL) for 1 h, and the rate of cytoplast protrusion can be 85.4% while the rate of cytoplast enucleation is 100%. 2) There was no significant difference in oocyte enucleation between oocytes treated with medium containing 0.2 microg/mL colchicine for 0.5 h and oocytes treated with medium containing 0.4 microg/mL colchicine for 0.5 h. 3) A maturation time of 18-23 h did not affect the rates of cytoplast protrusion and enucleation by chemically assisted enucleation, whereas the rate of enucleation of oocytes by blind enucleation was found to decrease with a prolonged incubation time. 4) The development rates of reconstructed embryos could not be influenced by these two enucleation methods, increased from oocytes matured for 21-23 h. These results demonstrate that sheep oocytes can be enucleated fast and effectively by optimized colcholine chemically assisted enucleation, which can enhance the enucleation rate of sheep oocytes and the early development of reconstructed embryos in vitro.
Animals ; Cloning, Organism ; methods ; Colchicine ; pharmacology ; Embryo, Mammalian ; embryology ; Female ; Nuclear Transfer Techniques ; veterinary ; Oocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; Sheep

The influence of colchicine, colcemid, ginseng-alcohol extract, saponin, garlic alcohol-ether extract, and X-irradiation on free floating peritoneal mast cells were studied in rats by means of a phase contrast microscope. After the intraperitoneal injection of colchicine or colcemid the mast cells of the albino rat peritoneal fluid show an altered morphology. Ginseng-alcohol extract, allicin extracted from garlic, and X-irradiation do not elicit this cytological response.Mast cells exposed to saponin exhibit a severe destruction and degranulation. The relation of the mast cell-damaging agents, metabolic poisons, and X1-irradiation to the mast cell response is discussed with reference to the morphological changes. These are compared with the data of Padawer (1960, 1966).
Animals ; Colchicine/*pharmacology ; Mast Cells/*drug effects/*radiation effects ; Microscopy, Phase-Contrast ; *Panax ; Plant Extracts/pharmacology ; *Plants, Medicinal ; *Radiation Injuries, Experimental ; Rats ; Saponins/*pharmacology

This experimental research was aimed to establish an optimum system of enucleation, purification and identification for preparing the cytoplasts of suspension culture cells in order to undertake cell recombination. Human leukemia HL-60 cells in suspension culture were purified by 42% Percoll density gradient centrifugation and low-speed centrifugation at 1 500r/min, respectively. The purified HL-60 cells were treated with cytochalasin B (CB) alone or combined with colcchicine and enucleated by isopycnic gradient centrifugation on 50% Percoll at 25 degrees C and 34 degrees C, respectively. Cytoplasts made from HL-60 cells were purified through gradient centrifugation by 37%, 38% and 40% Percoll, respectively. The final cytoplasts were identified by Wright-Giemsa staining and 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylidole dihydrochloride (DAPI)/5, 6-carboxyflu-orescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE) double-staining. The phenotype and mitochondrial membrane potential of HL-60 cytoplasts were analyzed by flow cytometry. The results indicated that the enucleation ratio of HL-60 cells induced by CB combined with colcchicine was up to 91. 98% +/-4. 29%, which was significantly higher than that in CB alone group (74. 95% +/- 3. 02%)(P<0. 01). The rates of enucleation and cytoplast with diameter over 5min in 34 degrees C group were higher than those in 25 degrees C group (all P<0. 01). The cytoplast purities were (95.43 +/- 0. 59)% in 38% Percoll groups,which were higher than those of 40% Percoll (P<0. 05). Nucleus and caryoplasm could be clearly distinguished by DAPI and CFSE double labeling. The results further showed that the phenotype of HL-60 cytoplasts had no significant change, and the activity of the cytoplasts was above 80% within 12h. It is concluded that enucleation throuth density gradient centrifugation on 50% Percoll mediated by CB combined with colcchicine, 38%Percoll of purification followed by DAPI/CFSE double labeling and MMP detection is an optimum scheme for preparation and identification of cytoplast from suspension culture cells.
Cell Compartmentation ; Cell Nucleus ; Cell Separation ; Centrifugation, Density Gradient ; Colchicine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Cytochalasin B ; pharmacology ; Cytoplasm ; HL-60 Cells ; Humans

Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Cell Division ; drug effects ; Colchicine ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Molecular Structure ; Structure-Activity Relationship ; Tubulin ; drug effects ; Tumor Cells, Cultured

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of microtubule intervention drugs on the energy metabolism of myocardial cells after hypoxia.

METHODSThe primary passage of cultured myocardial cells from neonatal rats were divided into A (with hypoxia), B (with hypoxia and administration of 10 micromol/ml colchicine), C (with hypoxia and administration of 5 micromol/ml taxol), D (with hypoxia and administration of 10 micromol/ml taxol) and E (with hypoxia and administration of 15 micromol/ml taxol) groups. The creatine kinase (CK) activity and contents of ATP and ADP were assayed with colorimetry and HPLC, respectively, and the vitality of myocardial cells were determined by trypan blue method at 0.5, 1.0, 3.0, 6.0, 12.0, 24.0 post-hypoxia hours (PHH).

RESULTSThe mortality was obviously higher in B and E groups than those in A group( P < 0.05) at each time-points, but that in C and D groups were markedly lower than those in A group during 6.0 to 24.0 PHH (P < 0.01). The CK activity was significantly higher in B group than that in A group during 1.0 to 24.0 PHH, while that in E group was evidently higher, but it was lower in C and D groups than that in A group at each time-points (P < 0.05 or 0.01). The ATP contents in C group during 0.5 to 6.0 PHH were [(49.9 +/- 2.8), (40.7 +/- 2.0), (25.8 +/- 1.9), (19.1 +/- 1.2) microg/10(6) cells, respectively], which were obviously higher than those in A group [(42.9 +/- 5.8), (29.5 +/- 1.8), (18.2 +/- 0.9), (14.1 +/- 0.7) microg/10(6) cells, respectively, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01, and those in E group at each time-point were significantly lower than those in A and D groups (P < 0.01). The changes in the contents of ADP were on the contrary to the above.

CONCLUSIONMicrotubule-destabilizing drugs and high concentration microtubule-stabilizing drugs can sharply decrease ATP content in myocardiocytes under hypoxic conditions, while suitable amount of microtubule-stabilizing drugs can protect myocardiocytes by promoting its energy production.

Animals ; Cell Hypoxia ; Cells, Cultured ; Colchicine ; pharmacology ; Energy Metabolism ; drug effects ; Microtubules ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Paclitaxel ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Sclerosis is a disease process in which idiopathic hardening occurs in the skin and/or internal organs as a result of the accumulation of type I collagen, induced mainly by transforming growth factor-beta. Colchicine and D-penicillamine are widely used for its treatment. Their effects are known to be due to post-translational down-regulation of type I collagen synthesis, with colchicine also up-regulating interstitial collagenase. To determine whether or not they have any pre-translational effect on type I collagen and MMP-1, and also to observe their effects on the action of TGF-beta, cultured neonatal foreskin fibroblasts were treated with colchicine and D-penicillamine, singly and together. The amount of type I collagen and MMP-1 mRNA were quantitated by Northern blot hybridization. Colchicine suppresses the basal level of type I collagen mRNA but minimally stimulates the mRNA expression of MMP-1, whereas D-penicillamine does not have any significant effects on either. Colchicine was also able to significantly suppress the TGF-beta-induced up-regulation of type I collagen mRNA expression.
Cells, Cultured ; Colchicine/pharmacology* ; Collagen/genetics* ; Fibroblasts/metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation/drug effects* ; Human ; Interstitial Collagenase/genetics* ; Penicillamine/pharmacology* ; RNA, Messenger/analysis* ; Skin/metabolism ; Skin/cytology ; Transforming Growth Factor beta/pharmacology

OBJECTIVE: The current study evaluated various new colchicine analogs for their anticancer activity and to study the primary mechanism of apoptosis and in vivo antitumor activity of the analogs with selective anticancer properties and minimal toxicity to normal cells. METHODS: Sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay was used to screen various colchicine analogs for their in vitro cytotoxicity. The effect of N-[(7S)-1,2,3-trimethoxy-9-oxo-10-(pyrrolidine-1-yl)5,6,7,9-tetrahydrobenzo[a] heptalene-7-yl] acetamide (IIIM-067) on clonogenicity, apoptotic induction, and invasiveness of A549 cells was determined using a clonogenic assay, scratch assay, and staining with 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) and annexin V/propidium iodide. Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were observed using fluorescence microscopy. Western blot analysis was used to quantify expression of proteins involved in apoptosis, cell cycle, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling. Pharmacokinetic and in vivo efficacy studies against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) and Ehrlich solid tumor models were conducted using Swiss albino mice. RESULTS: IIIM-067 showed potent cytotoxicity and better selectivity than all other colchicine analogs screened in this study. The selective activity of IIIM-067 toward A549 cells was higher among other cancer cell lines, with a selectivity index (SI) value of 2.28. IIIM-067 demonstrated concentration- and time-dependent cytotoxicity against A549 cells with half-maximal inhibitory concentration values of 0.207, 0.150 and 0.106 μmol/L at 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively. It also had reduced toxicity to normal cells (SI > 1) than the parent compound colchicine (SI = 1). IIIM-067 reduced the clonogenic ability of A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner. IIIM-067 enhanced ROS production from 24.6% at 0.05 μmol/L to 82.1% at 0.4 μmol/L and substantially decreased the MMP (100% in control to 5.6% at 0.4 μmol/L). The annexin V-FITC assay demonstrated 78% apoptosis at 0.4 μmol/L. IIIM-067 significantly (P < 0.5) induced the expression of various intrinsic apoptotic pathway proteins, and it differentially regulated the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Furthermore, IIIM-067 exhibited remarkable in vivo anticancer activity against the murine EAC model, with tumor growth inhibition (TGI) of 67.0% at a dose of 6 mg/kg (i.p.) and a reduced mortality compared to colchicine. IIIM-067 also effectively inhibited the tumor growth in the murine solid tumor model with TGI rates of 48.10%, 55.68% and 44.00% at doses of 5 mg/kg (i.p.), 6 mg/kg (i.p.) and 7 mg/kg (p.o.), respectively. CONCLUSION IIIM-067 exhibited significant anticancer activity with reduced toxicity both in vitro and in vivo and is a promising anticancer candidate. However, further studies are required in clinical settings to fully understand its potential.
Animals ; Mice ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/pharmacology* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism* ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism* ; Colchicine/pharmacology* ; Apoptosis ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Mammals/metabolism*

OBJECTIVEThis paper aimed at improving existing breeds of Phellodendron chinense and enriching the resources of heredity breeding.

METHODThe polyploid of P. chinense was obtained using calli, seeds and buds, which were treated with colchicines solution.

RESULTThe polyploid of P. chinense was obtained using calli with stem treated with 0.2% colchicines medium, the inducing rate reached 12.45%. Compared with the morphology and chromosomal number the polyploid induction was proved to be effective.

CONCLUSIONIt was an effective biotechnological way to use colchicines to induce polyploid on the different explants of P. chinense.

Chromosomes, Plant ; genetics ; Colchicine ; pharmacology ; Phellodendron ; anatomy & histology ; genetics ; growth & development ; Plant Shoots ; anatomy & histology ; genetics ; growth & development ; Plants, Medicinal ; anatomy & histology ; genetics ; growth & development ; Polyploidy ; Seeds ; genetics ; growth & development