EFFECT OF COLCHICINE ON INTRACELLULAR-TRANSPORT OF ALKALINE-PHOSPHATASE IN PRIMARY CULTURE OF ADULT-RAT HEPATOCYTES - IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL STUDY

The effect of colchicine on the intracellular transport of alkaline ph osphatase (ALP) in primary cultures of adult rat hepatocytes was exami ned by immunocytochemical methods. In hepatocytes cultured in control medium, the reaction products indicating the presence of ALP were obse rved in the plasma membrane surrounding intercellular spaces, although they were also observed in the cytoplasm near the nuclei and in the p lasma membrane along cell between adjacent hepatocytes. hepatocytes we re cultured in the medium to which colchicine had been added to a fina l concentration of 10(-5) M, the reaction products were mainly observe d in several large autolysosome-like granules in the cytoplasm. Furthe rmore, upon examination by a fluorescence-labeled antibody method, mic rotubules were observed to extend in a radial pattern from the nuclei to the cytoplasm in hepatocytes cultured in control medium but they we re not observed in hepatocytes cultured in the colchicine-supplemented medium. In the present study, based on morphological evidence, it was confirmed that the transport of ALP from the cytoplasm to the plasma membrane of adult rat hepatocytes is inhibited by colchicine.