Over-the-counter medications can be a lifeline when it comes to everyday ailments, like headaches and body aches. One of the most commonly used types of these medications is acetaminophen.
While researchers have long known that acetaminophen interacts with the brain to dull or relieve pain, a new study reveals it does more than that.
What is acetaminophen?
Acetaminophen is a pain reliever and fever reducer, commonly referred to by its brand names, Tylenol and Panadol.
Experts believe it relieves minor aches and pains by raising the body’s overall pain threshold. It can also lower fevers by helping the body eliminate excess heat.
What does new research tell us?
For decades, scientists have believed acetaminophen relieves pain by working only in the brain and spinal cord. However, a new study published in the medical journal “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA” shows the drug also works outside the brain.
Researchers at Hebrew University in Israel have found acetaminophen also works on the nerves that detect pain first, stopping the body from ever sending the pain message to the brain.
How does acetaminophen work on the nerves?
The findings center on a substance called AM404, which is made by the body after taking acetaminophen. AM404, acetaminophen’s active metabolite, works by shutting down specific sodium channels in pain-sensing neurons, stopping pain signals before they reach the brain.
“This is the first time we’ve shown that AM404 works directly on the nerves outside the brain,” professor Alexander Binshtok from the Hebrew University’s Faculty of Medicine and Center for Brain Sciences said. “It changes our entire understanding of how acetaminophen fights pain.”
What does this mean for pain management?
The study’s authors say because AM404 targets only the nerves that transmit pain, it shows promise as a local analgesic. They say it could avoid the numbness, muscle weakness and side effects that come with traditional local anesthetics.
“If we can develop new drugs based on AM404, we might finally have pain treatments that are highly effective but also safer and more precise,” professor Avi Priel from Hebrew University’s School of Pharmacy added.
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Author: Bast Bramhall
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