Paracetamol study could open door for way to treat liver damage
Scientists have shed new light on how the common painkiller paracetamol causes liver damage.
Their findings may offer valuable insights into poisoning caused by an excess dose, which can be difficult to treat and may prove fatal.
The discovery could inform research into therapies to counteract harm caused by the drug, which is the leading cause of acute liver failure in the Western world.
Scientists at The University of Edinburgh studied the impact of paracetamol on liver cells in human and mouse tissue.
Tests showed that even relatively low doses of paracetamol can damage the liver by harming vital structural connections between adjacent cells in the organ.
When these cell wall connections – known as tight junctions – are disrupted, the liver tissue structure is damaged, cells are unable to function properly and they may die.
This type of cell damage is known to occur in liver conditions including hepatitis, cirrhosis, and cancer, but until now it was not linked to paracetamol toxicity.
Researchers aim now to develop a reliable method of using human liver cells as an alternative to animal testing. They then will seek to examine how varying paracetamol doses and timescales affect toxicity in the liver, and identify potential targets for new drugs.
The study, involving researchers from the universities of Edinburgh and Oslo, and the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, was published in Nature Scientific Reports. It was supported in part by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Chief Scientist Office.
Nature Scientific Reports
Low-dose acetaminophen induces early disruption of cell-cell tight junctions in human hepatic cells and mouse liver
Dr Leonard Nelson, of The University of Edinburgh’s Hepatology Laboratory and Institute for Bioengineering, who co-led the study, said: “Paracetamol is the world’s preferred pain remedy – it is cheap, safe and effective. However, drug-induced liver damage remains a significant problem. Our findings reinforce the need for vigilance in paracetamol use, and could help discover how harm caused by its adverse use might be prevented.”
Co-author Pierre Bagnaninchi, of the university’s MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, said: “Although liver damage cause by paracetamol toxicity has been the subject of intense study for 40 years, developments in biosensor technology are enabling a fuller picture of the biological mechanisms involved, which is a huge step in helping develop ways to manage the risks of an overdose.”
Source - http://www.healthcanal.com/digestive-system/76368-paracetamol-study-could-open-door-for-way-to-treat-liver-damage.html
About BBSRC
BBSRC invests in world-class bioscience research and training on behalf of the UK public. Our aim is to further scientific knowledge, to promote economic growth, wealth and job creation and to improve quality of life in the UK and beyond.
Funded by Government, BBSRC invested £473M in world-class bioscience, people and research infrastructure in 2015-16. We support research and training in universities and strategically funded institutes. BBSRC research and the people we fund are helping society to meet major challenges, including food security, green energy and healthier, longer lives. Our investments underpin important UK economic sectors, such as farming, food, industrial biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.
For more information about BBSRC, our science and our impact see: www.bbsrc.ac.uk.
For more information about BBSRC strategically funded institutes see: www.bbsrc.ac.uk/institutes.
Scientists have shed new light on how the common painkiller paracetamol causes liver damage.
Their findings may offer valuable insights into poisoning caused by an excess dose, which can be difficult to treat and may prove fatal.
The discovery could inform research into therapies to counteract harm caused by the drug, which is the leading cause of acute liver failure in the Western world.
Scientists at The University of Edinburgh studied the impact of paracetamol on liver cells in human and mouse tissue.
Tests showed that even relatively low doses of paracetamol can damage the liver by harming vital structural connections between adjacent cells in the organ.
When these cell wall connections – known as tight junctions – are disrupted, the liver tissue structure is damaged, cells are unable to function properly and they may die.
This type of cell damage is known to occur in liver conditions including hepatitis, cirrhosis, and cancer, but until now it was not linked to paracetamol toxicity.
Researchers aim now to develop a reliable method of using human liver cells as an alternative to animal testing. They then will seek to examine how varying paracetamol doses and timescales affect toxicity in the liver, and identify potential targets for new drugs.
The study, involving researchers from the universities of Edinburgh and Oslo, and the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, was published in Nature Scientific Reports. It was supported in part by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Chief Scientist Office.
Nature Scientific Reports
Low-dose acetaminophen induces early disruption of cell-cell tight junctions in human hepatic cells and mouse liver
Dr Leonard Nelson, of The University of Edinburgh’s Hepatology Laboratory and Institute for Bioengineering, who co-led the study, said: “Paracetamol is the world’s preferred pain remedy – it is cheap, safe and effective. However, drug-induced liver damage remains a significant problem. Our findings reinforce the need for vigilance in paracetamol use, and could help discover how harm caused by its adverse use might be prevented.”
Co-author Pierre Bagnaninchi, of the university’s MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, said: “Although liver damage cause by paracetamol toxicity has been the subject of intense study for 40 years, developments in biosensor technology are enabling a fuller picture of the biological mechanisms involved, which is a huge step in helping develop ways to manage the risks of an overdose.”
Source - http://www.healthcanal.com/digestive-system/76368-paracetamol-study-could-open-door-for-way-to-treat-liver-damage.html
About BBSRC
BBSRC invests in world-class bioscience research and training on behalf of the UK public. Our aim is to further scientific knowledge, to promote economic growth, wealth and job creation and to improve quality of life in the UK and beyond.
Funded by Government, BBSRC invested £473M in world-class bioscience, people and research infrastructure in 2015-16. We support research and training in universities and strategically funded institutes. BBSRC research and the people we fund are helping society to meet major challenges, including food security, green energy and healthier, longer lives. Our investments underpin important UK economic sectors, such as farming, food, industrial biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.
For more information about BBSRC, our science and our impact see: www.bbsrc.ac.uk.
For more information about BBSRC strategically funded institutes see: www.bbsrc.ac.uk/institutes.
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