Colchicine may interfere with the axonal transport of noradrenaline in the central noradrenergic neurons

Summary The administration of colchicine (50 g) into the lateral ventricles induced the marked accumulation of noradrenaline in the locus coeruleus of rat. Lumicolchicine administration or stress loading failed to alter the noradrenaline levels, thus suggesting that this accumulation is related to the blockade of axonal flow in the central noradrenergic neurons.Acknowledgment. Authors thank Drs Y. Kakimoto and M. Miyake for their advice on the assay of catecholamines.