Acetaminophen Protects Against Kidney Failure Due To Trauma

Posted Thu, 2010/02/04 - 23:58 by Fred Lee

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A team of international researchers has found that the painkiller acetaminophen may protect a person’s kidneys from the negative effects that stem from muscle trauma. Destruction of the muscle tissue can occur through accidents, excessive exercise, or adverse drug interactions, and in certain instances, the result can be life-threatening.

When muscles are injured, the cells break open, or lyse, and release their contents into the surrounding tissue. This condition is also known as rhabdomyolysis. One of the components of the cell lysate is myoglobin, a protein pigment that is subsequently filtered out of the bloodstream. The protein, however, can deposit in the kidneys and lead to oxidative damage, which in turn can cause the kidneys to fail.

Researchers have determined that acetaminophen can prevent or reduce this oxidative damage. In the study in question, published in the Proceedings of National Academy of Science, researchers administered the painkiller at equivalent human doses before and after muscle injury in animal models.

What they observed was the acetaminophen protected the kidneys while also improving kidney function. The findings warrant further investigation in human patients, and clinical trials in related endeavors are currently underway. Doctors are paying special attention to heart attack victims, who might be good candidates because of the cardiac muscle damage that they experience.

Acetaminophen is also being investigated as a way to prevent other tissue damage, including blood cell lysis, sickle cell disease, and malaria. The authors also feel that there are potential applications for acetaminophen in soldiers injured in battle.

Rhabdomyolysis is relatively rare except in situations where traumatic muscle injury occurs, whereby upwards of 85% of the patients will experience some degree of the condition. Of those cases, it has been estimated that 15% of them will undergo acute renal (kidney) failure. Rhabdomyolysis is believed to be responsible for 25% of kidney failure cases.

The kidneys are the organs responsible filtering out waste from our bodies, thus maintaining a proper balance of salts, minerals, and nutrients. When they malfunction or fail, then harmful and potentially toxic materials can accumulate in the body. This can increase blood pressure and compromise the production of red blood cells.

If the kidneys fail, then patients must undergo treatment to filter the blood. Options include dialysis, whereby the blood is filtered by an external machine, or a kidney transplant, along with any necessary diet and lifestyle changes.

For more information, visit the website for the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

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