A comparison of the effect of nitroparacetamol and paracetamol on liver injury

Paracetamol (5 mmol kg(-1), i.p.) caused liver damage in rats as indicated by increased plasma aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransfer ase (ALT) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) activities. No change in plasma bilirubin or creatinine was noted. An equimolar dose of nitroparacetamol ( a nitric oxide (NO)-releasing derivative of paracetamol) did not alter plas ma levels of any of the markers of liver/kidney damage. No difference in pl asma or liver paracetamol was apparent in animals injected with paracetamol or nitroparacetamol. These results indicate that NO released from nitropar acetamol exhibits hepatoprotective activity in these animals and suggest th at nitroparacetamol may therefore be considered as a safer alternative to p aracetamol in the clinic.