Toxicity of the acetyl-para-aminophenol group of medicines to intact intervertebral disc tissue cells

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of paracetamol, an analgesic and antipyretic that is used in emergency departments and neurosurgery departments for postoperative pain management on intervertebral disc tissue. Paracetamol-treated human primary cell cultures and untreated cell cultures were compared using molecular analyses. Cell proliferation and gene expression were statistically analyzed. Cell proliferation was suppressed on days 10 (P=0.05) and 20 (P<0.05) in the paracetamol-treated groups. Gene expression of chondroadherin, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-7, MMP-13 and MMP-19 was higher in the paracetamol-treated samples while gene expression of Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein and interleukin-1β was lower (P<0.05). Paracetamol, which appears innocuous compared with many analgesics, may increase the expression of MMPs, which serve a significant role in catabolic reactions and suppress the proliferation of intact intervertebral disc tissue cells.