Colchicine administration to mice: a metabolic and ultrastructural study.

A single injection of colchicine has been administered to normal albino mice, and the metabolic effects as well as the hepatic ultrastructural changes resulting from this treatment have been studied at various time intervals. A marked decrease in circulating triglyceride levels was evident 4 hours after colchicine injection and was maximum after 11 hours. It coincided with a marked increase in hepatic triglyceride content. Twenty hours after colchicine administration, plasma triglyceride levels and hepatic triglyceride content had returned to normal values. Similar changes in the levels of circulating proteins were observed although their magnitude was less than that observed for triglycerides. Ultrastructurally, colchicine treatment resulted in the virtual disappearance of the microtubules from the hepatocytes, and in the appearance of many clusters of vesicles containing very low density lipoprotein-like particles which eventually transformed into lipid droplets. These ultrastructural alterations were also completely reversible, the reversibility coinciding with the morphological reappearance of microtubules. Finally, colchicine treatment resulted in marked metabolic changes that are interpreted as representing an attempt, by the organism, to keep adequate energy sources during the period of lack of circulating triglycerides.