Evaluation of Antihypoxic Activities of Colchicine

Hypoxia can lead to body function impairment. It is linked to the pathology of acute mountain sickness, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. Colchicine, an anti-inflammatory drug, is used chiefly in treatment of gout, but it is also valuable in other inflammatory conditions. Preliminary data shows that colchicine has beneficial effects on COVID-19. Nothing is known about the protective effect of this drug against hypoxia-induced lethality in mice.

Protective effects of colchicine against hypoxia-induced lethality in mice at 0.5, 1, and 1.5 mg/kg, P.O. were evaluated in three experimental models of hypoxia.

Colchicine showed good activity in some models. In the circulatory model, at 0.5 mg/kg, it significantly prolonged mice survival time for 4.5 min (P<0.05). At this dose, it showed similar activity to propranolol 30 mg/kg which was used as the positive control. At 1.5 mg/kg, it was more effective than propranolol (P<0.0001). In the haemic antihypoxic model, colchicine at 1 mg/kg, significantly increased survival time and showed the same activity as propranolol (P>0.05). In the asphyctic model, colchicine did not show any activity.

Colchicine showed good protective effects against hypoxia in circulatory and haemic models where the drug at 1.5 mg/kg, was more effective than the positive control, propranolol at 30 mg/kg.