Mechanism of action of colchicine. I. Effect of colchicine and its analogs on the reversed passive Arthus reaction and the carrageenan-induced hindpaw edema in the rat.

Colchicine and N-desacetyl-N-methylcolchicine suppressed both the reversed passive Arthus reaction and the carrageenan-induced edema in the rat. Colchicine, 2-desmethyl-colchicine glucoside and trimethylcolchicine acid had no effect on either model of inflammation. The ability or inability of these compounds to suppress the development of experimental inflammation correlated with their antimitotic activities. The findings lend support to the hypothesis that the anti-inflammatory and the antimitotic effects of colchicine may depend on the same basic, biophysical mechanism of action, i.e., the disruption of the microtubules.