Colchicine-induced lesions in the rat duodenum.

In rats subcutaneous injection of colchicine resulted in sub-cellular necrosis within the rapidly proliferating cells in the duodenal mucosa. Similar lesions resulted from the administration of cytosine arabinoside hydrochloride and the effects of both drugs were ameliorated by treatment with cycloheximide. It is suggested that these lesions are a form of shrinkage necrosis involved in the deletion of growing stem-cells which, in the absence of mitotic division, results in mucosal atrophy.