Scientists uncover mechanism for acetaminophen's action
Savvy shoppers looking for a way to save money on drugs can buy cheaper over the counter medications, such as acetaminophen, through a Canadian pharmacy.
Savvy shoppers looking for a way to save money on drugs can buy cheaper over the counter medications, such as acetaminophen, through a Canadian pharmacy. Though acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol in other parts of the world, is very common in medicine cabinets, researchers from King's College London have only recently pinpointed the mechanisms that allow this painkiller to work.
In a laboratory experiment on mice, the scientists conducted a "hot-plate" test in which they timed the withdrawal reflex of rodents that placed a paw on a hot surface. Subjects that were given paracetamol reacted more slowly to the pain. However, the study team deactivated the neuron cell surface protein TRPA1 in some of the mice to see how they would perform in the hot-plate test.
Results showed that mice that lacked TRPA1 did not react as slowly, even after being treated with paracetamol, as published in the journal Nature Communications.
Another experiment demonstrated that paracetamol affects TRPA1 through a breakdown product known as NAPQI, the compound responsible for poisoning in cases of paracetamol overdose.
"This study validates TRPA1 as a new target for pain relief drugs," said researcher David Andersson. "Many targets have been identified in the past, but as paracetamol is a medicine that we know works well in humans, this gives us a head-start in looking for effective molecules that utilize the same pathways but are less harmful."
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