Transcriptomic Studies on Liver Toxicity of Acetaminophen

Acetaminophen is widely used as a pain reliever and to reduce fever. At high doses, it can cause severe hepatotoxicity. Acetaminophen overdose has become the leading cause of acute liver failure in the US. The mechanisms for acetaminophen-induced liver injury are unclear. Transcriptomic studies can identify the changes in expression of thousands of genes when exposed to supratherapeutic doses of acetaminophen. These studies elucidated the mechanism of acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity and also provide insight into future development of diagnosis and treatment options for acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure. The following is a brief overview of some recent transcriptomic studies and gene-expression-based prediction models on liver toxicity induced by acetaminophen.