Unveiling the molecular basis of paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity: Interaction of N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine with mitochondrial succinate dehydrogenase

Abstract

Background and aim

N-acetyl-p-benzoquinoneimine (NAPQI), a toxic byproduct of paracetamol (Acetaminophen, APAP), can accumulate and cause liver damage by depleting glutathione and forming protein adducts in the mitochondria. These adducts disrupt the respiratory chain, increasing superoxide production and reducing ATP. The goal of this study was to provide computational proof that succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), a subunit of complex II in the mitochondrial respiratory chain, is a favorable binding partner for NAPQI in this regard.

Method

Molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation, protein-protein interaction networks (PPI), and KEGG metabolic pathway analysis were employed to identify binding characteristics, interaction partners, and their associations with metabolic pathways. A lipid membrane was added to the experimental apparatus to mimic the natural cellular environment of SDH. This modification made it possible to develop a context for investigating the role and interactions of SDH within a cellular ecosystem that was more realistic and biologically relevant.

Result

The molecular binding affinity score for APAP and NAPQI with SDH was predicted −6.5 and −6.7 kcal/mol, respectively. Furthermore, RMSD, RMSF, and Rog from the molecular dynamics simulations study revealed that NAPQI has slightly higher stability and compactness compared to APAP at 100 ns timeframe with mitochondrial SDH.

Conclusion

This study serves to predict the mechanistic process of paracetamol toxicity by using different computational approaches. In addition, this study will provide information about the drug target against APAP hepatotoxicity.