Aspirin May Protect Against Liver Damage

Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) has been around since 1899 as a cure for many things, including fever, bodily pain, headaches, and inflammation. Today, many people take daily low-dose aspirin as a preventative measure against heart disease. Aspirin thins the blood and prevents platelet aggregation, meaning fewer strokes or heart attacks from patients with heart disease.

In this article, however, the researchers have studied the mechanisms by which Aspirin might be used to reduce liver damage caused by Tylenol (acetaminophen). According to the article, Tylenol accounts for most drug overdoses in the US. Upon reviewing the scientific journal article, the idea became a bit more clear. Hepatocyte (liver cell) death causes a cascade of events that lead to the release of inflammatory cytokines. The scientists in this study discovered it was free-floating DNA from apoptized cells that were the instigators of the cascades. According to the researchers, "The protective effect of aspirin on acetaminophen-induced liver injury was due to downregulation of proinflammatory cytokines." The true mechanism is still not fully undestood, but research has very important clinical implications.


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Aspirin protects against liver damage: study

Acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in mice is dependent on Tlr9 and the Nalp3 inflammasome. J. Clin. Invest. Avlin B. Imaeda, et al.