Effects of colchicine on sulfated glycosaminoglycan production and cell detachment in pre-capillary pulmonary endothelial cells

The effects of colchicine on the morphology, substrate adhesiveness, and production of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) macromolecules by cultured pre-capillary pulmonary endothelial cell were studied. Colchicine-treated cells demonstrated altered morphology and decreased substrate adhesiveness compared to untreated cells. In addition, [35S]sulfate incorporation into glycosaminoglycans was decreased 33% after treatment with colchicine. Spectrophotometric measurement of total cellular GAG revealed a similar GAG reduction in colchicine-treated cells. The composition of [35S]sulfate radiolabelled GAG was similar in cultures with and without colchicine, consisting of approximately 56% chondroitin sulfate and the remainder heparin/heparan sulfate. The results indicate that colchicine influences the biological behavior of pre-capillary endothelial cells, in part by altering the amount of glycosaminoglycan molecules produced.