Scientists from the University of California Davis have made a surprising discovery about ibuprofen, a popular painkiller.
This drug, part of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) family, is commonly used for pain relief and to reduce fever.
While it’s known that ibuprofen can affect the heart and increase stroke risk, its impact on the liver wasn’t fully understood until now.
In their study, the researchers gave mice a moderate amount of ibuprofen for a week. This dosage was similar to an adult human taking around 400 mg of ibuprofen daily.
They then analyzed the liver cells of these mice using advanced mass spectrometry, a technique that helps understand the chemical processes in cells.
The results were eye-opening. Ibuprofen caused far more changes in the proteins expressed in the liver than anticipated. In male mice, at least 34 different metabolic pathways were affected.
These pathways are important for processing amino acids, hormones, and vitamins. Moreover, ibuprofen increased the production of reactive substances like hydrogen peroxide in cells, which can damage proteins and stress the liver.
Interestingly, the study also found significant differences in how ibuprofen affected male and female livers.
One notable example is the proteasome, a system in cells that gets rid of unwanted proteins. It reacted differently in males compared to females.
This suggests that other drugs taken alongside ibuprofen might remain in the body longer in males, a finding not previously known.
This study raises concerns about the widespread use of ibuprofen, especially for minor pains. It suggests that we might be overusing such drugs without fully understanding their long-term effects.
Additionally, it highlights the need for more research into how drugs affect males and females differently. This understanding is crucial for safer and more effective treatments.
This study was published in Scientific Reports and conducted by Professor Aldrin Gomes and his team.
If you care about liver health, please read studies about a diet that can treat fatty liver disease and obesity, and coffee drinkers may halve their risk of liver cancer.
For more information about liver health, please see recent studies that anti-inflammatory diet could help prevent fatty liver disease, and results showing vitamin D could help prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
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