Effect of colchicine on rat small intestinal absorptive cells. I Formation of basolateral microvillus borders

Treatment of rats with colchicine (0.5 mg/100 g of body weight) for more than 3 hr causes formation of microvillus borders along lateral and basal surfaces of absorptive cells in the small intestine. Morphologically, these strongly resemble the apical brush border inclusive of the terminal-web region. Formation of basolateral microvilli is restricted to mature absorptive cells. At 6 hr after administration of colchicine, 3.47% (+/- 1.94%) of the basolateral cell surfaces exhibit "implantation" of microvillus borders. The results show that colchicine induces formation of surface differentiations at lateral and basal surface regions that are restricted to the apical cell surface in controls. Redistribution of constituents of the plasma membrane from apical to basolateral membrane portions, as well as rearrangement in the organization of microfilaments can be considered to underlie formation of basolateral microvillus borders. From the antimicrotubular effect of colchicine it may be deduced that microtubules exert a regulative function in the formation of surface differentiations on absorptive cells of the small intestine and in the maintenance of the polarity of the cells.