The frequency and distribution of apoptosis induced by three non-carcinogenic agents in mouse colonic crypts.

The appearance of apoptotic cells has been used as an index of carcinogen-induced damage inflicted on the colonic epithelium. We report here that 3 potent biological toxins, colchicine, puromycin and diphtheria toxin which have not been shown to be carcinogenic cause a dose-related increase in apoptotic cells in the colonic epithelium of the mouse. The distribution of apoptosis along the crypt length is characteristic for each of the agents studied.