Abstract
Triclosan (TCS) is a phenolic compound with broad-spectrum antimicrobial action that has been incorporated into a variety of personal care products and other industry segments such as toys, textiles, and plastics. Due to its widespread use, TCS and its derivatives have been detected in several environmental compartments, with potential bioaccumulation and persistence. Indeed, some studies have demonstrated that TCS may act as a potential endocrine disruptor for the reproductive system. In the current study, we are reporting on the results obtained for male rats after a two-generation reproduction toxicity study conducted with TCS. Female and male Wistar rats were treated daily by gavage with TCS at doses of 0.8, 2.4, and 8.0 mg/kg/day or corn oil (control group) over 10 weeks (F0) and over 14 weeks (F1) before mating and then throughout mating, until weaning F2 generations, respectively. TCS exposure decreased sperm viability and motility of F1 rats at the dose of 2.4 mg/kg. The effects of TCS on sperm quality may be related to the exposure window, which includes the programming of reproductive cells that occurs during fetal/neonatal development.
Highlights
Endocrine disruptors are referred to as environmental contaminants, described as an exogenous substance or mixture that alters function(s) of the endocrine system with adverse health effects in an intact organism, its progeny, orpopulations [1, 2]
Triclosan (TCS) is a trichlorinated phenoxyphenol with broad-spectrum antimicrobial action that has been incorporated into a variety of consumer products including soaps, hand sanitizers, toothpaste, mouthwash, and lotions, as well as being used in other consumer products such as toys, the textile industry, and plastics [6,7,8]
Regarding the neurodevelopmental hazard potential of TCS, there is one study conducted on zebrafish embryos, showing TCS exposure at concentrations between 2 to 2.8 μM delayed development of secondary motor neurons [31]. In this sense, considering [1] the widespread use of TCS and the risks involving its environmental exposure over the decades; [2] the potential TCS toxicity to the reproductive system and organism development; and [3] that the exposure to endocrine disruptors during early development may cause a growing set of diseases [32, 33], which is correlated with the concept of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD), the present study aimed to evaluate the potential effects of TCS applying a two-generation reproduction toxicity study [34], which is designed to provide general information concerning the effects of a test substance on the integrity and performance of reproductive systems, including gonadal function, mating behavior, conception, gestation, parturition, lactation, and weaning, and the growth and development of the offspring
Summary
Endocrine disruptors are referred to as environmental contaminants, described as an exogenous substance or mixture that alters function(s) of the endocrine system with adverse health effects in an intact organism, its progeny, or (sub)populations [1, 2]. Several studies have shown a connection between phenolic environmental pollutants and endocrine-disrupting effects on the reproductive system [3,4,5]. The structural similarity of TCS to thyroid hormones and other organic environmental pollutants, such as polychlorinated-biphenyls, polybrominated. Triclosan: Two-Generation Study in Male diphenyl ethers, and bisphenol-A, may predict possible endocrine disrupting effects of TCS on reproductive and thyroid endpoints [9,10,11,12]. Because of its widespread use, TCS and its derivatives have been detected in the effluent of wastewater treatment plants across the globe, representing one of the most commonly detected contaminants in solid and water environmental compartments [14, 15]. It is known that TCS crosses the placenta [19]
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