EFFECTS OF COLCHICINE AND COLCHICEINE IN A BIOCHEMICAL-MODEL OF LIVER-INJURY AND FIBROSIS

Background: The accumulation of collagen is a salient feature of chron ic liver injury, The objective of this study was to investigate and co mpare the therapeutic effectiveness of colchicine and one of its metab olites, colchiceine, to protect rats from developing liver injury and fibrosis, Methods: To accomplish this, the authors used a procedure de veloped by others to produce liver injury and fibrosis by chronic admi nistration of CCI4 in rats. The effect of both compounds on collagen m etabolism and liver injury was analyzed, Results: Although both compou nds prevented increase in collagen synthesis, animals treated with col chicine did not show a reduction in collagen content compared with ani mals treated with CCI4, On the other hand, the animals treated with co lchiceine along with CCI4 showed a 50 % reduction in hepatic collagen content as well as an improvement in histological architecture. Both c ompounds, colchicine and colchiceine, increased the intracellular degr adation of collagen in addition to increasing collagenase activity as compared to non-treated rats. However, collagenase activity was lower in animals treated with colchicine and colchiceine than in the fibroti c livers treated with CCI4, The changes in collagen metabolism correla ted with changes in parameters of liver injury. Conclusions: In conclu sion, the compound colchiceine may be recommended in the treatment of chronic liver diseases rather than its precursor, colchicine, due to t he fact that it showed a lower accumulation of collagen content and ha s a better anti-fibrogenic effect than does colchicine.