Colchicine selectively inhibits lactase expression by rat enterocytes.

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology and Cell Biology
• Molecular mechanisms of intestinal cell differentiation

Background:

• Enterocyte differentiation involves the expression of brush border digestive enzymes.
• Cell migration from intestinal crypts to villi is crucial for enterocyte maturation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the selective effects of colchicine on enterocyte differentiation.
• To determine how colchicine influences the appearance of digestive enzymes during cell migration.

Main Methods:

• Oral administration of low-dose colchicine (approx. 50 micrograms/day) to experimental subjects.
• Analysis of intestinal homogenates for digestive enzyme activities (lactase, sucrase, maltase, alkaline phosphatase).
• Quantitative cytochemistry to assess the rate of lactase appearance in the brush border membrane.

Main Results:

• Colchicine (approx. 50 micrograms/day) significantly reduced lactase activity by 50% without affecting other enzymes.
• The inhibition of lactase activity was fully reversible and took approximately 48 hours to complete.
• Colchicine decreased the maximal rate of lactase appearance in the brush border membrane, independent of enterocyte migration rate.

Conclusions:

• Low-dose colchicine selectively inhibits lactase biosynthesis during enterocyte differentiation.
• The drug affects the rate of lactase appearance rather than the overall differentiation or migration process.
• Colchicine's inhibitory effect on lactase biosynthesis occurs in both crypt and mature villus enterocytes.