Ibuprofen helps liver failure cognition

VALENCIA, Spain, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- An anti-inflammatory -- ibuprofen -- improved cognitive function in rats induced with chronic liver failure, Spanish researchers said.

Vicente Felipo, of the Centro de Investigacion Principe Felipe in Valencia, in Spain, examined whether alterations associated with inflammation are involved in learning impairment in rats that had chronic liver failure.

Rats that had chronic liver failure due to insertion of a porta-caval shunt, showed a decreased ability to learn a Y maze, but after administration of ibuprofen, their ability to learn the maze was completely restored, the study published in Hepatology said.

In addition, the researchers found that ibuprofen normalized the activity of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase two enzymes that play a role in inflammation in the cerebral cortex.

The findings support the idea that reducing inflammation would improve cognitive function in patients with hepatic encephalopathy -- impaired cognition.