According to a recent study from the University of Edinburgh, paracetamol, a common painkiller, can cause liver damage. New information about how a popular painkiller damages the liver has emerged from a study conducted on rats. The findings provide important information about overdose toxicity, which is sometimes fatal and difficult to treat.
organ failure
The discovery could help guide research into treatments to reduce the negative effects of the drug, which is the leading cause of acute liver failure in the West. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh studied how paracetamol affects liver cells in both human and rat tissue. Their findings showed that under certain circumstances, paracetamol can cause liver damage by interfering with structural junctions that are essential for the proper functioning of neighboring cells in the liver.
Tight junctions are connections between cells in the cell wall that, when broken, damage the structure of the liver tissue, impair cell function and possibly even cause cell death. Although this type of cell destruction is associated with liver diseases such as cancer, cirrhosis and hepatitis, it has not previously been linked to paracetamol toxicity.
further testing
The researchers now aim to develop a reliable way to use human liver cells as an alternative to animal testing. They will then look at how different doses and timing of paracetamol affect toxicity in the liver and identify potential targets for new drugs. Scientific Reports has published the study, which involved researchers from the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service and the universities of Edinburgh and Oslo. It received partial funding from the Chief Scientific Office and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
Paracetamol is the world’s most popular painkiller because it is cheap, safe and effective when used as directed. However, drug-induced liver damage remains a significant clinical problem and hinders the development of safer drugs. The findings highlight the need for caution in the use of paracetamol and may provide information about ways to reduce harm from inappropriate use.
Dr. Leonard Nelson of the Hepatology Laboratory and Bioengineering Institute emphasizes the importance of these findings in understanding and preventing paracetamol-related harm. While research on paracetamol toxicity has a long history, recent advances in biosensor technology provide new avenues for understanding its mechanisms, notes Pierre Bagnaninchi of the MRC Center for Regenerative Medicine.
