Mechanism of action and side effects of colchicine based on biomechanical properties of cells

Abstract

Many diseases are related to changes in the biomechanical properties of cells; their study can provide a theoretical basis for drug screening and can explain the internal working of living cells. In this study, the biomechanical properties of nephrocytes (VERO cells), hepatocytes (HL‐7702 cells), and hepatoma cells (SMCC‐7721 cells) in culture were detected by atomic force microscopy (AFM) to analyse the side effects of colchicine at different concentrations (0.1 μg/mL (A) and 0.2 μg/mL (B)) at the nanoscale for 2, 4 and 6 h. Compared with the corresponding control cells, the damage to the treated cells increased in a dose‐dependent manner. Among normal cells, the injury of nephrocytes (VERO cells) was markedly worse than that of hepatocytes (HL‐7702 cells) in both colchicine solutions A and B. Based on the analyses of biomechanical properties, the colchicine solution reduced the rate of division and inhibited metastasis of SMCC‐7721 cells. By comparing these two concentrations, we found that the anticancer effect of colchicine solution A was greater than that of solution B. Studying the mechanical properties of biological cells can help understand the mechanism of drug action at the molecular level and provide a theoretical basis for preventing the emergence and diagnosis of diseases at the nanoscale.