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Treatments that increase levels of the protein Thromobspondin-1 could help livers to recover from an overdose of Acetaminophen.
While safe at therapeutic levels, overdose of candy-like Acetaminophen taken accidentally or intentionally to harm oneself, "is the leading cause of quickly-developing — or acute — liver failure in the U.S." Sadly, this can lead into liver transplant and a lifetime of anti-rejection drugs.
[Matthew McMillin, PHD.], an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin and research biologist at Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, will present the research at the American Society for Investigative Pathology annual meeting during the 2019 Experimental Biology meeting to be held April 6-9 in Orlando, Fla.
McMillin and his colleagues found that mice with acute liver failure from acetaminophen toxicity had higher levels of thrombospondin-1 than mice with normal liver function. When they administered acetaminophen to genetically modified mice that lack thrombospondin-1, the liver injury and loss of liver function was more severe compared to unmodified mice. The researchers also observed impaired liver regeneration and increased cell death in the mice without thrombospondin-1.
According to McMillin, "We were able to identify cell communication pathways that do not work properly during acetaminophen-induced liver injury and thus lead to worse outcomes."
The only current remedy for acute Acetaminophen overdose, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) or 'Acetadote', must be taken early, before the liver is damaged.
Acetylcysteine protects against acetaminophen overdose-induced hepatotoxicity by maintaining or restoring hepatic concentrations of glutathione. It does this by producing the glutathione precursor L-cysteine. Glutathione is required to inactivate an intermediate metabolite (N-acetyl-p-benzoquinoneimine or NAPQI) of acetaminophen that is thought to be hepatotoxic.
Remember to keep drugs well out of reach of small children and as they get older and self medicate, consider stacking the odds in their favor with less tasty, overdose- and damage-prone pain relievers.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday April 08 2019, @05:07PM (1 child)
Newsflash, Dogs and Cats aren't very bright, will eat things they shouldn't. Just like a toddler. Recommend, keeping poisonous substances/drugs in proper containers and out of reach of children/pets. Lots of things are dangerous/can kill you, if used/destroyed/consumed improperly.
Chocolate is really delicious and people eat a lot of it without any side effects. It's one of those things that you'd just have to know to keep from your dog/cat as chocolate doesn't scream, poisonous substance for my pet. It's unsurprising that adult doses of acetaminophen or any medicine would be much easier for your pet to Overdose on. Just given, the approximate size of the animal. That's ignoring the possibility that said medicine may be poisonous to your cat/dog.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Muad'Dave on Tuesday April 09 2019, @11:59AM
The absolute size of the animal aside, the actual dose in mg/kg varies wildly by species. Dogs are sensitive (their toxic dose is over 100 mg/kg), but cats are acutely sensitive - as little as 10 mg/kg can be toxic [pethealthnetwork.com].
As you probably already know, there are lots of 'people food' items that are dangerous for pets to eat: chocolate, grapes (and raisins), macadamia nuts, etc.