How triclosan, found in many consumer products, is triggered to harm the
gut

Date:
January 10, 2022
Source:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Summary:
Increasingly, research links triclosan, an antimicrobial found in
thousands of consumer products, with the gut microbiome and gut
inflammation. A new study looks at the potential for combating
damage to the intestine. The findings suggest new approaches for
improving the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of inflammatory
bowel disease.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A new study conducted in mice demonstrates precisely how triclosan, an antimicrobial found in many household items, including some toothpastes,
toys and thousands of other products, can trigger gut inflammation.


========================================================================== Increasingly, research links triclosan with the gut microbiome and gut inflammation. A new study looks at the potential for combating damage
to the intestine. The findings suggest new approaches for improving the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

An international team of researchers led by the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Massachusetts Amherst and
Hong Kong Baptist University identified the bacteria, and even specific enzymes, that trigger triclosan's harmful effects. Moreover, studies
in mice suggest these bacterial enzymes can be blocked from driving
intestinal damage.

The findings were published in Nature Communications.

"By identifying the culprit bacteria, new approaches could be developed
for the diagnoses, prevention and treatment of inflammatory bowel
diseases," said study author Matthew Redinbo, a chemistry and microbiology professor at the UNC- Chapel Hill College of Arts & Sciences and UNC
School of Medicine.

Previous research has shown triclosan's toxicity, but the new study
provides a closer look at the changes caused in the gut's microscopic population.



========================================================================== Researchers connected specific gut microbial enzymes, notably gut
microbial beta-glucuronidase (GUS) proteins, with triclosan and showed
these enzymes drive triclosan to wreak havoc in the gut.

Knowing which bacterial proteins were the culprits, the team used a
microbiome- targeted inhibitor to block triclosan processing in the
gut. Blocking this process in mice prevented damage to the colon and
symptoms of colitis, a form of inflammatory bowel disease.

The study provides new clues about management of IBD among the growing
number of people diagnosed with the disease. IBD can be managed for long periods of time only to flare up out of seemingly nowhere.

Study authors suggest the need for better understanding of the impact
of environmental chemicals on gut health.

Triclosan used to be widely available in antibacterial soaps marketed
to consumers. But in 2016, the Food and Drug Administration ordered it
removed from handwashing products used in homes and hospital settings
because of concerns it contributed to more resistant bacteria.

But triclosan remains ubiquitous as an ingredient added to cosmetics,
yoga mats and other athletic clothes and gear to reduce bacterial contamination. It's also routinely used in many toothpastes -- with FDA approval -- since it has been found to prevent gingivitis.

Triclosan appears to be readily absorbed in the gastrointestinal
tract, leading study authors to write, "the safety of triclosan and
related compounds should be reconsidered given their potential for
intestinal damage." The National Institutes of Health, through grants
to several authors, the Hong Kong Research Grants Council and the
National Science Foundation funded the study, "Microbial enzymes induce
colitis by reactivating triclosan in the mouse gastrointestinal tract." ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_North_Carolina_at_Chapel_Hill. Note: Content may be edited
for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Jianan Zhang, Morgan E. Walker, Katherine Z. Sanidad, Hongna Zhang,
Yanshan Liang, Ermin Zhao, Katherine Chacon-Vargas, Vladimir
Yeliseyev, Julie Parsonnet, Thomas D. Haggerty, Guangqiang Wang,
Joshua B. Simpson, Parth B. Jariwala, Violet V. Beaty, Jun Yang,
Haixia Yang, Anand Panigrahy, Lisa M. Minter, Daeyoung Kim,
John G. Gibbons, LinShu Liu, Zhengze Li, Hang Xiao, Valentina
Borlandelli, Hermen S. Overkleeft, Erica W. Cloer, Michael B. Major,
Dennis Goldfarb, Zongwei Cai, Matthew R.

Redinbo, Guodong Zhang. Microbial enzymes induce colitis by
reactivating triclosan in the mouse gastrointestinal tract. Nature
Communications, 2022; 13 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27762-y ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/01/220110103250.htm
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