DNA damages caused by paracetamol
Abstract
Studies on cells in vitro and animal experiments show that paracetamol may bind covalently to DNA, inhibit DNA-replication and DNA-repair synthesis, and cause chromosomal aberrations in somatic cells. In two studies a higher level of chromosomal aberrations was found in lymphocytes after exposure of human volunteers to therapeutic doses of paracetamol, but in a third study the results were negative. Genotoxic effects of paracetamol have been demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo at or near therapeutic concentrations. Overall, the data indicate that paracetamol-use may contribute to an increase in the total burden of DNA-damage in man. Higher risk of cancer after exposure to paracetamol has not been demonstrated in epidemiological studies, nor has increased risk of cancer been unequivocally documented from animal experiments. It is generally accepted, however, that exposure that may cause DNA-damage in man should be reduced and if possible avoided. The therapeutic benefit of using paracetamol should therefore be carefully evaluated, taking into consideration its potential for inducing acute and chronic and genotoxic effects.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Effect of dexamethasone as an analgesic adjuvant to multimodal pain treatment after total knee arthroplasty: randomised clinical trial
- Effect of a Postoperative Multimodal Opioid-Sparing Protocol vs Standard Opioid Prescribing on Postoperative Opioid Consumption After Knee or Shoulder Arthroscopy: A Randomized Clinical Trial
- Comparison of the Post-Caesarean Analgesic Effect of Adding Dexmedetomidine to Paracetamol and Ketorolac: A Randomized Clinical Trial
- A triple-blind randomized clinical trial of different associations between dexamethasone and non-steroids anti-inflammatories for preemptive action in third molar extractions
- An open label randomized clinical trial of Indomethacin for mild and moderate hospitalised Covid-19 patients
- Oral paracetamol and/or ibuprofen for treating pain after soft tissue injuries: Single centre double-blind, randomised controlled clinical trial
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.