Colchicine-induced Mallory body formation in the mouse.

Long term griseofulvin treatment of mice results in the development of Mallory bodies (MB), Griseofulvin application apparently "primed" the liver cell for MB formation, and the hepatocytes were then able to respond almost immediately with MB to a griseofulvin challenge even after a 1-month griseofulvin-free period. Colchicine, in contrast to cytochalasin B, also induced MB under these latter experimental conditions. Since intermediate filaments increase in various types of cells in response to antitubulin agents, this observation further supports the hypothesis that MB are related to intermediate filaments.