A 50 year-old male is brought to the emergency department due to sudden sharp pain at right ankle joint. It's started this morning. He has no prior medical conditions and takes no medications. He doesn't use tobacco but drinks heavily a night before. He is treated with oral colchicine and experiences significant relief of symptoms within 12 hours. The drug used in this patient most likely affects which of the steps shown in the diagram below?

Question

A 50 year-old male is brought to the emergency department due to sudden sharp pain at right ankle joint. It's started this morning. He has no prior medical conditions and takes no medications. He doesn't use tobacco but drinks heavily a night before. He is treated with oral colchicine and experiences significant relief of symptoms within 12 hours.  The drug used in this patient most likely affects which of the steps shown in the diagram below?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Colchicine is used for treatment of acute gouty arthritis in patients who cannot take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.  It inhibits leukocyte migration and phagocytosis by blocking tubulin polymerization.  Significant side effects of colchicine include nausea and diarrhea.

A 50 Year-Old Male Is Brought to the Emergency Department