Report, practical “paracetamol study”
Group number:
Names:
Bachelor: Health Sciences – Biology & Health
Course: BGZ2026
Maastricht University
Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML)
, Introduction
Paracetamol is a pain killer, which mechanism of action is not fully elucidated yet. It is
effective when the concentration of paracetamol in the plasma exceeds a threshold value (in
humans, this is about 3 mg/L), then the concentration is in the range of the therapeutic
window. Paracetamol is metabolized by the liver. After some time, the concentration drops
below the minimal effective concentration (MEC). It is assumed that the effect of
paracetamol depends on the way of administration.
Research question addressed in the practical
Is the intake of 1g of paracetamol more effective in treating pain when taken without a
substantial breakfast (sober), than one hour after a substantial breakfast (non-sober) in adults
between 18 and 25 years ?
Hypothesis
It is expected that the intake of acetaminophen, or paracetamol, will be more effective on an
empty stomach. Because food intake delays the absorption rate (Ka), the presence of food
results in an increased Tmax, decreased Cmax, but has no effect on the bioavailability
(Moore, Derry, Wiffen, & Straube, 2015). When orally administered, the absorption rate in
the gastro-intestinal tract is predominantly dependent on the rate of gastric emptying, where
the absorption rate is regulated by metabolic (blood sugar), neuronal (vagus), and hormonal
(ghrelin) influences, mainly to slow the emptying rate (Hellström, Grybäck, & Jacobsson,
2006). Also the type of food regulates the emptying rate, where high-fat diets delay the
gastric emptying due to inhibiting signals of fat in duodenum which results in slowed down
gastric emptying rate, thus giving a decreased Cmax and AUC (area under the curve) of a
drug, compared with low-fat diets (Sharma, & Prasad, 2021).
A possible explanation could be that, because acetaminophen is a lipophilic NSAID, food-
intake can slow down the acetaminophen emptying in the stomach, thus leading to a delayed
absorption in the intestines compared to a sober person.
- H0: 1g of paracetamol is not more effective in treating pain in adults between 18 and
25 years old when no substantial breakfast is taken (sober), than one hour after a
substantial breakfast (non-sober).
Group number:
Names:
Bachelor: Health Sciences – Biology & Health
Course: BGZ2026
Maastricht University
Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML)
, Introduction
Paracetamol is a pain killer, which mechanism of action is not fully elucidated yet. It is
effective when the concentration of paracetamol in the plasma exceeds a threshold value (in
humans, this is about 3 mg/L), then the concentration is in the range of the therapeutic
window. Paracetamol is metabolized by the liver. After some time, the concentration drops
below the minimal effective concentration (MEC). It is assumed that the effect of
paracetamol depends on the way of administration.
Research question addressed in the practical
Is the intake of 1g of paracetamol more effective in treating pain when taken without a
substantial breakfast (sober), than one hour after a substantial breakfast (non-sober) in adults
between 18 and 25 years ?
Hypothesis
It is expected that the intake of acetaminophen, or paracetamol, will be more effective on an
empty stomach. Because food intake delays the absorption rate (Ka), the presence of food
results in an increased Tmax, decreased Cmax, but has no effect on the bioavailability
(Moore, Derry, Wiffen, & Straube, 2015). When orally administered, the absorption rate in
the gastro-intestinal tract is predominantly dependent on the rate of gastric emptying, where
the absorption rate is regulated by metabolic (blood sugar), neuronal (vagus), and hormonal
(ghrelin) influences, mainly to slow the emptying rate (Hellström, Grybäck, & Jacobsson,
2006). Also the type of food regulates the emptying rate, where high-fat diets delay the
gastric emptying due to inhibiting signals of fat in duodenum which results in slowed down
gastric emptying rate, thus giving a decreased Cmax and AUC (area under the curve) of a
drug, compared with low-fat diets (Sharma, & Prasad, 2021).
A possible explanation could be that, because acetaminophen is a lipophilic NSAID, food-
intake can slow down the acetaminophen emptying in the stomach, thus leading to a delayed
absorption in the intestines compared to a sober person.
- H0: 1g of paracetamol is not more effective in treating pain in adults between 18 and
25 years old when no substantial breakfast is taken (sober), than one hour after a
substantial breakfast (non-sober).
