What is the mechanism for colchicine induced cardiotoxicity?
Although widely used in gout and pericarditis, colchicine can cause cardiotoxicity when taken in overdose due to its narrow therapeutic window. Though not well understood, high levels of colchicine may induce microtubule depolymerization, thus inhibiting contractility and mechanosignaling, and leading to stiffness of cardiac myocytes and cardiovascular collapse.
Mulkareddy V, Sokach C, Bucklew E, Bukari A, Sidlak A, Harrold IM, Pizon A, Reis S. Colchicine Toxicity: The Fatal Masquerader. JACC Case Rep. 2020 Apr 15;2(4):678-680. doi: 10.1016/j.jaccas.2020.02.014. PMID: 34317321; PMCID: PMC8298785
Contributed by Mary Feliu, MD
Posted in Question Of The Day