title: Colchicine in Renal Medicine: New Virtues of an Ancient Friend.
abstract: Colchicine is a plant-derived alkaloid that disrupts the cell microtubule system and accumulates in neutrophils, inhibiting neutrophil adhesion and recruitment. Colchicine has been used extensively in the prevention and treatment of gouty arthritis attacks, familial Mediterranean fever attacks and resultant AA amyloidosis, and recurrent pericarditis. Colchicine also disrupts the intracellular traffic of additional inflammatory and fibrosis mediators. Renal fibrosis is the final common pathway of chronic renal disease. Colchicine had anti-fibrotic effects in experimental diabetic nephropathy, renal mass reduction, and cyclosporine nephrotoxicity among others and is undergoing clinical trials for non-diabetic metabolic syndrome and diabetic nephropathy. In this review, we summarize the anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic properties of colchicine in experimental and clinical studies in renal diseases or other fibrotic disease processes with renal consequences. We also discuss the potential future uses of colchicine in renal medicine and challenges faced with its use in patients with impaired kidney function.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Sakarya University Training and Research Hospital, Sakarya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yalcin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Solak
authors.forename: Dimitrie
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Siriopol
authors.forename: Abdulmecit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yildiz
authors.forename: Mahmut Ilker
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ortiz
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Covic
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanbay
mesh_terms: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003078:Colchicine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D003078:Colchicine