title: Redistribution of lipofuscin in aged neurons induced by colchicine.
abstract: The effect of a single, 40 micrograms, intracerebroventricular injection of colchicine on the distribution of neuronal lysosomes and lipofuscin granules in aged mice was studied. At the light microscope level we observed that colchicine induced a redistribution of dipeptidyl aminopeptidase II (Dpp II), a lysosomal and lipofuscin granule marker enzyme, from the cell bodies of neurons to the dendrites; cell bodies became depleted of Dpp II while dendrites became enriched with this enzyme. Quantitation of this phenomenon at the electron microscope level demonstrated that colchicine induced a rapid and significant decrease in the density of lysosomes and lipofuscin granules from the somata of neurons whereas in dendrites we observed a significant increase in the density of these organelles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Irvine 92717.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gorenstein
authors.forename: V J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Bundman
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D003078:Colchicine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004152:Dipeptidyl-Peptidases and Tripeptidyl-Peptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D008062:Lipofuscin / Q000378:metabolism*; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000378:metabolism*; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D008062:Lipofuscin; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D004152:Dipeptidyl-Peptidases and Tripeptidyl-Peptidases; D003078:Colchicine