How Paracetamol works
Paracetamol relieves pain and reduces fever.It was made first at 1877.The core structure of paracetamol is a benzene (⌬) ring which is substituted by a hydroxyl (-OH) group and nitrogen atom of amide group (-HN-CO-NH₃) in the 1,4 positions.It is also known as acetaminophen, N-acetyl-para-aminophenol (APAP).It is typically used to reduce mild pain.
We have a common habit to swallow a paracetamol capsule or tablet when we catch fever or get pain.To know the actual mechanism of paracetamol,let’s find out how pain actually arise.
Pain is a blessing to human.It is like the early warning of body that indicate that something is wrong with the body.A specialised nerve cell named ‘Nociceptor' is spread out whole over the body.It is a pain detector that conduct electric signals to brain.It is triggered when there is a damage in nerve threshold.Certain chemicals can also triggered the threshold.When we hurt ourselves,our body cells become damage at that specific place.Damage cells release a lot of chemicals.One of them is named “Arachidonic acid”.We know that there are a lot of enzymes in our body.Two of them are COX1 and COX2.These two enzymes convert arachidonic acid into ′Prostaglandin H₂′ which later convert into TxA₂,PhD₂,PhE₂,PgF₂ that increase body pain,inflammation and triggered the pain threshold.These chemicals flow to the damage place through white blood cells.Then nociceptor sends a electric signal to the brains and we can feel the pain.
Prostaglandin is also responsible for fever.Body temperature is controlled by the hypothalamus part of the brain that has a thermostatic mechanism.A protein called pyrogen is generated during fever.This increase the synthesis of prostaglandin,resulting increase temperature of body which is actually known as fever.
Paracetamol is actually used to reduce the intensity of the pain signals to the brain.It relieves the pain by reducing the production of prostaglandin in the brain and spinal cord.And it is done by destroying the activities of COX1 and COX2 enzymes that convert arachidonic acid into prostaglandin.Actually paracetamol blocks the active site of COX1 and COX2.Because of that,these enzymes cannot react with arachidonic acid.That results the less production of prostaglandin.Paracetamol may also increase our pain threshold so that the cause of pain remains and the body can cure the damage cells.Paracetamol inhibits the synthesis of prostaglandin.It promote heat loss through sweating and cutaneous vasodilation and thus helps reset the hypothalamic thermostat.
Now the question is how paracetamol can find the damage cells.Well,the answer is,it can not.It dissolves in blood and spread out whole over the body.Thats how it reach the damage cells.
