Vitamin D Deficiency Exacerbates Poor Sleep Outcomes with Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals Exposure: A Large American Population Study.

Phthalates and bisphenol A are recognized as the predominant endocrine-disrupting substances (EDCs) in the environment, but their impact on sleep health remains unclear. Vitamin D has often been reported to play a role in sleep health and may be affected by endocrine-disrupting compounds. The study utilized data from 5476 individuals in the NHANES project to investigate the correlation between combined exposure to environmental EDCs and sleep duration through modeling various exposures. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of vitamin D in the present scenario. Preliminary analyses suggested that vitamin D-deficient individuals generally slept shorter than individuals with normal vitamin D (p < 0.05). Exposure to Mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP), triclosan (TRS), and Mono-benzyl phthalate (MZP), either alone or in combination, was associated with reduced sleep duration and a greater risk of vitamin D deficiency. Individuals with low vitamin D levels exposed to TRS experienced shorter sleep duration than those with normal vitamin D levels (p < 0.05). TRS and MZP were identified as crucial factors in patient outcomes when evaluating mixed exposures (p < 0.05). The results provide new data supporting a link between exposure to EDCs and insufficient sleep length. Additionally, they imply that a vitamin D shortage may worsen the sleep problems induced by EDCs.

Cholesterol mediates the effects of single and multiple environmental phenols in urine on obesity.

BACKGROUND: Overweight and obesity are among the leading chronic diseases worldwide. Environmental phenols have been renowned as endocrine disruptors that contribute to weight changes; however, the effects of exposure to mixed phenols on obesity are not well established. METHODS: Using data from adults in National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, this study examined the individual and combined effects of four phenols on obesity. A combination of traditional logistic regression and two mixed models (weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression and Bayesian kernel-machine regression (BKMR)) were used together to assess the role of phenols in the development of obesity. The potential mediation of cholesterol on these effects was analyzed through a parallel mediation model. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that solitary phenols except triclosan were inversely associated with obesity (P-value < 0.05). The WQS index was also negatively correlated with general obesity (ß: 0.770, 95% CI: 0.644-0.919, P-value = 0.004) and abdominal obesity (ß: 0.781, 95% CI: 0.658-0.928, P-value = 0.004). Consistently, the BKMR model demonstrated the significant joint negative effects of phenols on obesity. The parallel mediation analysis revealed that high-density lipoprotein mediated the effects of all four single phenols on obesity, whereas low-density lipoprotein only mediated the association between benzophenol-3 and obesity. Moreover, Cholesterol acts as a mediator of the association between mixed phenols and obesity. Exposure to single and mixed phenols significantly and negatively correlated with obesity. Cholesterol mediated the association of single and mixed environmental phenols with obesity. CONCLUSIONS: Assessing the potential public health risks of mixed phenols helps to incorporate this information into practical health advice and guidance.

Conceptualizing the Role of the Microbiome as a Mediator and Modifier in Environmental Health Studies: A Scoping Review of Studies of Triclosan and the Microbiome.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Triclosan is an endocrine-disrupting antimicrobial additive that is suspected of contributing to antibiotic resistance and altering the microbiome. In this scoping review, we summarize what is known about the association between triclosan exposure and the microbiome using evidence from in vivo and epidemiologic studies. RECENT FINDINGS: Our review includes 11 rodent studies, seven fish studies, and five human studies. Evidence from animal studies suggests that triclosan decreases the diversity of the microbiome, although only one epidemiologic study agreed. Most studies suggest that triclosan alters the microbial community beta diversity, but disagree on which taxa contributed to compositional differences. Taxa in the Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria may be more influenced by triclosan than those in other phyla. Studies on triclosan and the microbiome were scarce and were inconclusive as to the effects of triclosan on the microbiome. Additional research is needed to clarify windows of heightened susceptibility of the microbiome to triclosan. We recommend guidelines for future microbiome research in environmental health to increase comparability across studies.

Triclosan induces earlier puberty onset in female mice via interfering with L-type calcium channels and activating Pik3cd.

Triclosan (TCS) is a broad-spectrum antibacterial chemical widely presents in people's daily lives. Epidemiological studies have revealed that TCS exposure may affect female puberty development. However, the developmental toxicity after low-dose TCS continuous exposure remains to be confirmed. In our study, 8-week-old ICR female mice were continuously exposed to TCS (30, 300, 3000 µg/kg/day) or vehicle (corn oil) from 2 weeks before mating to postnatal day 21 (PND 21) of F1 female mice, while F1 female mice were treated with TCS intragastric administration from PND 22 until PND 56. Vaginal opening (VO) observation, hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis related hormones and genes detection, and ovarian transcriptome analysis were carried out to investigate the effects of TCS exposure on puberty onset. Meanwhile, human granulosa-like tumor cell lines (KGN cells) were exposed to TCS to further explore the biological mechanism of the ovary in vitro. The results showed that long-term exposure to low-dose TCS led to approximately a 3-day earlier puberty onset in F1 female mice. Moreover, TCS up-regulated the secretion of estradiol (E2) and the expression of ovarian steroidogenesis genes. Notably, ovarian transcriptomes analysis as well as bidirectional validation in KGN cells suggested that L-type calcium channels and Pik3cd were involved in TCS-induced up-regulation of ovarian-related hormones and genes. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that TCS interfered with L-type calcium channels and activated Pik3cd to up-regulate the expression of ovarian steroidogenesis and related genes, thereby inducing the earlier puberty onset in F1 female mice.

Silver acetate and Triclosan Antimicrobial Graft Evaluation for surgical Repair of aortic disease (STAGER Study).

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess perioperative and late performance of a silver acetate and triclosan impregnated antimicrobial vascular graft (Intergard Synergy, Intervascular SAS, La Ciotat, France) during open surgical repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), and to compare it with standard polyester grafts ones. METHODS: This retrospective single-centre study (STAGER Study, clinicaltrials.gov: NCT04557254) included patients undergone non-infectious AAA surgical repair between 2012 and 2019, divided into two groups according to the implanted aortic prosthesis: standard polyester graft (PolyG) and silver-triclosan graft (SynG). Early primary endpoints were 30-day mortality, major adverse events (MAEs), and reintervention rates; late primary endpoints were overall and aortic-related survival, reintervention-free survival, and graft infection rate at a mean follow-up (FU) of 49.4±26.8 months. RESULTS: Five hundred forty-seven patients were included [PolyG 49%, and SynG 51%]. Both groups were substantially homogeneous in risk factors and demographics. Two patients died within 30 days. In-hospital MAE rate [PolyG 14.2% vs. SynG 10.7%; P=.248] and 30-day reintervention rate were not significantly different [PolyG 2.6% vs. SynG 1.4%; P=.374]. At 5 years, overall survival in the PolyG and SynG groups were 85% and 84%, respectively. Reintervention-free survival was 82% for both groups. Aortic-related survival was 95% and 96%, respectively. Graft infection was observed in 8 (3.3%) PolyG patients and 5 (1.8%) SynG patients. CONCLUSIONS: Silver acetate and triclosan impregnated grafts demonstrated good early and mid-term results, being considered safe and durable for AAA open repair. Similar graft infection and related death rates were observed compared to polyester standard grafts, supporting non-superiority of one graft over the other.

Triclosan is associated with breast cancer via oxidative stress and relative telomere length.

Introduction: Triclosan (TCS), a widely prescribed broad-spectrum antibacterial agent, is an endocrine-disrupting chemical. The relationship and biological mechanisms between TCS exposure and breast cancer (BC) are disputed. We aimed to examine the correlation between urinary TCS exposure and BC risk and estimated the mediating effects of oxidative stress and relative telomere length (RTL) in the above association. Methods: This case-control study included 302 BC patients and 302 healthy individuals in Wuhan, China. We detected urinary TCS, three common oxidative stress biomarkers [8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α (8-isoPGF2α), 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal-mercapturic acid (HNE-MA)], and RTL in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Results: Significant associations were observed between log-transformed urinary concentrations of TCS, 8-OHdG, HNE-MA, 8-isoPGF2α, RTL, and BC risk, with the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) being 1.58 (1.32-1.91), 3.08 (1.55-6.23), 3.39 (2.45-4.77), 3.99 (2.48-6.54), and 1.67 (1.35-2.09), respectively. Continuous TCS exposure was significantly positively correlated with RTL, HNE-MA, and 8-isoPGF2α (all p<0.05) but not with 8-OHdG (p = 0.060) after adjusting for covariates. The mediated proportions of 8-isoPGF22α and RTL in the relationship between TCS and BC risk were 12.84% and 8.95%, respectively (all p<0.001). Discussion: In conclusion, our study provides epidemiological evidence to confirmed the deleterious effects of TCS on BC and indicated the mediating effect of oxidative stress and RTL on the correlation between TCS and BC risk. Moreover, exploring the contribution of TCS to BC can clarify the biological mechanisms of TCS exposure, provide new clues for the pathogenesis of BC, which is of great significance to improving public health systems.

Associations between seminal plasma triclosan and low sperm quality: A case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: Triclosan (TCS), a novel endocrine disrupter, has induced widespread human exposure due to its widespread use in personal care products. Environmental TCS exposure was suggested to be associated with human semen quality. However, little is known about seminal plasma TCS concentration and the risk of low sperm quality. This case-control study is established to examine the relationship between seminal plasma TCS and the risk of low sperm quality. STUDY DESIGN: One hundred men with low sperm quality as cases and one hundred normal men as controls were recruited a fertility clinic in Shijiazhuang, China, during 2018-2019. Seminal plasma TCS concentration was determined using an ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer (UPLC-MS/MS). Sperm concentration, sperm count, sperm motility and sperm progressive motility were evaluated according to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines to assess the sperm quality. We used the Mann-Whitney rank-sum test and Kruskal-Wallis test to assess the differences of seminal plasma TCS concentration between the cases and the controls. In addition, logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the associations between seminal plasma TCS concentrations and low sperm quality risk adjusting for age, body mass index (BMI), abstinence time, smoking, and drinking RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The level of seminal plasma TCS was observed slightly but not significantly higher in the case group than the control group. We also observed significant association between seminal plasma TCS concentrations and semen parameters in both control and case groups. Moreover, the seminal plasma TCS levels at the fourth quartile were found to be more likely to exhibit low sperm quality risk with increased adjusted odds ratios of 2.36 (95% confidence interval 1.03-5.39) compared to the first quartile. Our results reveal that seminal plasma TCS concentration was positively associated with low sperm quality risk.

Urinary phenol concentrations and fecundability and early pregnancy loss.

STUDY QUESTION: Are urinary phenol concentrations of methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, triclosan, benzophenone-3, 2,4-dichlorophenol or 2,5-dichlorophenol associated with fecundability and early pregnancy loss? SUMMARY ANSWER: 2,5-dichlorophenol concentrations were associated with an increased odds of early pregnancy loss, and higher concentrations of butylparaben and triclosan were associated with an increase in fecundability. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Phenols are chemicals with endocrine-disrupting potential found in everyday products. Despite plausible mechanisms of phenol reproductive toxicity, there are inconsistent results across few epidemiologic studies examining phenol exposure and reproductive function in non-fertility treatment populations. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: Specimens and data were from the North Carolina Early Pregnancy Study prospective cohort of 221 women attempting to conceive naturally from 1982 to 1986. This analysis includes data from 221 participants across 706 menstrual cycles, with 135 live births, 15 clinical miscarriages and 48 early pregnancy losses (before 42 days after the last menstrual period). PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: Participants collected daily first-morning urine specimens. For each menstrual cycle, aliquots from three daily specimens across the cycle were pooled within individuals and analyzed for phenol concentrations. To assess sample repeatability, we calculated intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for each phenol. We evaluated associations between phenol concentrations from pooled samples and time to pregnancy using discrete-time logistic regression and generalized estimating equations (GEE), and early pregnancy loss using multivariable logistic regression and GEE. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: ICCs for within-person variability across menstrual cycles in pooled phenol concentrations ranged from 0.42 to 0.75. There was an increased odds of early pregnancy loss with 2,5-dichlorophenol concentrations although the CIs were wide (5th vs 1st quintile odds ratio (OR): 4.79; 95% CI: 1.06, 21.59). There was an increased per-cycle odds of conception at higher concentrations of butylparaben (OR: 1.62; 95% CI: 1.08, 2.44) and triclosan (OR: 1.49; 95% CI: 0.99, 2.26) compared to non-detectable concentrations. No associations were observed between these endpoints and concentrations of other phenols examined. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: Limitations include the absence of phenol measurements for male partners and a limited sample size, especially for the outcome of early pregnancy loss, which reduced our power to detect associations. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: This study is the first to use repeated pooled measures to summarize phenol exposure and the first to investigate associations with fecundability and early pregnancy loss. Within-person phenol concentration variability underscores the importance of collecting repeated samples for future studies. Exposure misclassification could contribute to differences between the findings of this study and those of other studies, all of which used one urine sample to assess phenol exposure. This study also contributes to the limited literature probing potential associations between environmental exposures and early pregnancy loss, which is a challenging outcome to study as it typically occurs before a pregnancy is clinically recognized. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): This research was supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (award number F31ES030594), the Intramural Research Program of the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (project numbers ES103333 and ES103086) and a doctoral fellowship at the Yale School of Public Health. The authors declare they have no competing interests to disclose. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: N/A.

Triclosan exposure induced disturbance of gut microbiota and exaggerated experimental colitis in mice.

BACKGROUND: Triclosan, an antimicrobial agent in personal care products, could be absorbed into the human body through the digestive tract. This animal experiment aimed to clarify the effects of triclosan exposure on the microbiome and intestinal immune functions in healthy and ulcerative colitis models. METHODS: Balb/c mice were maintained on an AIN-93G diet containing 80ppm triclosan dissolved in polyethylene as vehicle or vehicle alone for 1 week or 4 weeks. In the end, the mice were sacrificed, blood samples and colon tissues were collected for analysis of inflammation, and fecal samples were collected for 16 S rRNA sequencing of gut microbiota. To establish ulcerative colitis mice model, at the beginning of the 4th week, mice maintained on the diet with or without triclosan were treated with 2% Dextran sulfate sodium(DSS) in drinking water for 1 week. Then mice were sacrificed for analysis of colitis and gut microbiota. RESULTS: Triclosan exposure to common mice enhanced the levels of p-NF-κb and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and decreased the Occludin in the colon. Triclosan exposure to DSS-induced mice increased the level of inflammatory cytokines, reduced the levels of Occludin, and exacerbated the degree of damage to intestinal mucosa and crypt, infiltration of inflammatory cells and atypia of glandular cells. Low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia appeared. Both in common and DSS-induced mice, triclosan exposure changed the diversity and composition of gut microbiota. Fecal samples showed higher enrichment of sulfate-reducing bacteria and Bacteroides, and less butyrate-producing bacteria. CONCLUSION: Triclosan exposure induced disturbance of gut microbiota and exaggerated experimental colitis in mice. And changes in the composition of gut microbiota were characterized by the increase of harmful bacteria, including sulfate-reducing bacteria and Bacteroides, and the reduction of protective probiotics, butyrate-producing bacteria.

Triclosan and Its Consequences on the Reproductive, Cardiovascular and Thyroid Levels.

Hygiene is essential to avoid diseases, and this is thanks to daily cleaning and disinfection habits. Currently, there are numerous commercial products containing antimicrobial agents, and although they are efficient in disinfecting, it is still not known the effect of the constant use of these products on human health. In fact, a massive use of disinfectants has been observed due to COVID-19, but the possible adverse effects are not yet known. Triclosan is one of the antimicrobial agents used in cosmetic products, toothpaste, and disinfectants. This compound is an endocrine disruptor, which means it can interfere with hormonal function, with its estrogenic and androgenic activity having already been stated. Even if the use of triclosan is well-regulated, with the maximum allowed concentration in the European Union of 0.3% (m/m), its effects on human health are still uncertain. Studies in animals and humans suggest the possibility of harmful health outcomes, particularly for the reproductive system, and in a less extent for the cardiovascular and thyroid functions. Thus, the purpose of this review was to analyse the possible implications of the massive use of triclosan, mainly on the reproductive and cardiovascular systems and on the thyroid function, both in animals and humans.

Urinary Phenols in Early to Midpregnancy and Risk of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Longitudinal Study in a Multiracial Cohort.

Environmental phenols are ubiquitous endocrine disruptors and putatively diabetogenic. However, data during pregnancy are scant. We investigated the prospective associations between pregnancy phenol concentrations and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risk. In a nested matched case-control study of 111 individuals with GDM and 222 individuals without GDM within the prospective PETALS cohort, urinary bisphenol A (BPA), BPA substitutes (bisphenol F and bisphenol S [BPS]), benzophenone-3, and triclosan were quantified during the first and second trimesters. Cumulative concentrations across the two times were calculated using the area under the curve (AUC). Multivariable conditional logistic regression examined the association of individual phenols with GDM risk. We conducted mixture analysis using Bayesian kernel machine regression. We a priori examined effect modification by Asian/Pacific Islander (A/PI) race/ethnicity resulting from the case-control matching and highest GDM prevalence among A/PIs. Overall, first-trimester urinary BPS was positively associated with increased risk of GDM (adjusted odds ratio comparing highest vs. lowest tertile [aORT3 vs. T1] 2.12 [95% CI 1.00-4.50]). We identified associations among non-A/Ps, who had higher phenol concentrations than A/PIs. Among non-A/PIs, first-trimester BPA, BPS, and triclosan were positively associated with GDM risk (aORT3 vs. T1 2.91 [95% CI 1.05-8.02], 4.60 [1.55-13.70], and 2.88 [1.11-7.45], respectively). Triclosan in the second trimester and AUC were positively associated with GDM risk among non-A/PIs (P < 0.05). In mixture analysis, triclosan was significantly associated with GDM risk. Urinary BPS among all and BPA, BPS, and triclosan among non-A/PIs were associated with GDM risk. Pregnant individuals should be aware of these phenols' potential adverse health effects.

Green dentistry: Organic toothpaste formulations. A literature review.

Dentistry as a profession should take into account the goals of sustainable development in daily practice and encourage the transition to a green economy. Consumers are becoming more conscious about the impact of self-care products, including toothpastes, on the environment. Organic toothpastes are considered very safe. A broad literature review was conducted to: (i) identify the ingredients in available organic toothpastes; (ii) classify them into active and inactive; and (iii) evaluate each ingredient's purpose and the adverse events that may be associated with its use. A comprehensive list of available organic toothpastes and their ingredients was compiled based on the products from the largest Italian organic supermarket chain (NaturaSì®) that is representative of the European market. Then, PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar databases were searched to identify, classify and evaluate each ingredient. The final sample consisted of 46 organic toothpastes that included 156 ingredients; 139 (89.1%) and 17 (10.9%) were classified as active and inactive, respectively. Overall, 32 (20.5%) ingredients were associated with known adverse events. The results of this study indicate that organic toothpastes are highly biocompatible with oral cavity tissues. Careful product selection may help consumers avoid potential adverse effects that can be caused by ingredients such as polymers (e.g., polyethylene glycol) and carbomers, detergent agents (e.g., sodium lauryl sulfate), and triclosan. The lack of clinical studies should encourage the development of sufficient evidence to provide consumers with recommendations for daily use, based on both efficacy and biocompatibility.

The Influence of Triclosan on the Thyroid Hormone System in Humans - A Systematic Review.

Objectives: Triclosan is an antibacterial agent suspected to disrupt the endocrine system. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of triclosan on the human thyroid system through a systematic literature review of human studies. Methods: Eligibility criteria and method of analysis were registered at Prospero (registration number: CRD42019120984) before a systematic search was conducted in Pubmed and Embase in October 2020. Seventeen articles were found eligible for inclusion. Thirteen studies were observational, while four had a triclosan intervention. Participants consisted of pregnant women in eight studies, of men and non-pregnant women in seven studies and of chord samples/newborns/children/adolescents in six studies. The outcomes were peripheral thyroid hormones and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in blood samples. Results: Several studies found a negative association between triclosan and triiodothyronine and thyroxine, and a positive association with TSH; however, the opposite associations or no associations were also found. In general, the studies had limited measurement timepoints of thyroid outcomes, and the interventional studies used low concentrations of triclosan. Thus, study design limitations influence the quality of the dataset and it is not yet possible to conclude whether triclosan at current human exposure levels adversely affects the thyroid hormone system. Conclusions: Further larger studies with more continuity and more elaborate outcome measurements of thyroid function are needed to clarify whether triclosan, at current exposure levels, affects the human thyroid hormone system. Systematic Review Registration: http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.asp?ID=CRD42019120984, identifier PROSPERO (CRD42019120984).

Pregnancy Exposure to Phenols and Anthropometric Measures in Gestation and at Birth.

BACKGROUND: Some synthetic phenols alter pathways involved in fetal development. Despite their high within-subject temporal variability, earlier studies relied on spot urine samples to assess pregnancy exposure. In this study, we examined associations between prenatal phenol exposure and fetal growth. METHODS: We measured concentrations of two bisphenols, four parabens, benzophenone-3, and triclosan in 478 pregnant women in two weekly pools of 21 samples each, collected at 18 and 34 gestational weeks. We used adjusted linear regressions to study associations between phenol concentrations and growth outcomes assessed twice during pregnancy and at birth. RESULTS: Benzophenone-3 was positively associated with all ultrasound growth parameters in at least one time point, in males but not females. In females, butylparaben was negatively associated with third-trimester abdominal circumference and weight at birth. We observed isolated associations for triclosan (negative) and for methylparaben and bisphenol S (positive) and late pregnancy fetal growth. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest associations between prenatal exposure to phenols and fetal growth. Benzophenone-3 was the exposure most consistently (positively) associated across all growth parameters.

Effect of triclosan on the pathogenesis of allergic diseases among children.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have assessed associations between allergic diseases and antibacterial agents in Taiwanese children. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the association of triclosan (TCS) exposure with allergic diseases among preschoolers, disease-specific IgE titers, and a child's sex. METHODS: Pediatric data were obtained from the Childhood Environment and Allergic Diseases Study (CEAS; 2010) cohort, and their urine and blood samples were used to analyze TCS and IgE concentrations (age 3 group). Three years later, clinical data were obtained again from the age 3 group (age 6 group). Correlations of TCS levels at ages 3 and 6 years with IgE levels and allergic diseases were evaluated. RESULTS: The TCS levels were higher at age 3 than at age 6 (geometric mean, 1.05 ng/ml vs 0.37 ng/ml). TCS levels were positively correlated with serum IgE levels at ages 3 and 6 years. Asthma and atopic dermatitis were significantly associated with TCS (adjusted OR 1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.29; OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.05-1.41). Sex-stratified analysis revealed that TCS levels were positively correlated with IgE levels among boys in the age 6 group and significantly associated with asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis among boys. SIGNIFICANCE: TCS exposure is associated with IgE levels and a potentially high risk of pediatric atopic disorders.

In vitro and in vivo estrogenic activity of triclosan.

Triclosan (TCS) is an antibacterial and antifungal agent used in many consumer products and exhibits a chemical structure similar to non-steroidal estrogen, which is known to induce endocrine disruption. Triclosan has been found in human plasma, urine, and breast milk, and the safety of TCS-containing products has been disputed. Although studies attempted to determine the estrogenic activity of TCS, no clear results have emerged. The aim of the present study was to examine estrogenic activity of TCS using an in vitro E-screen assay and an in vivo uterotrophic assay. The in vitro E-screen assay demonstrated that TCS significantly enhanced proliferation of MCF-7 breast cancer cells, although not in a concentration-dependent manner. The in vivo uterotrophic results showed no significant change in the weight of uteri obtained from TCS-administered Sprague-Dawley rats. Further, to understand the estrogenic activity attributed to TCS at the molecular level, gene-expression profiling of uterus samples was performed from both TCS- or estrogen-treated rats and the genes and cellular processes affected by TCS or estrogen were compared. Data demonstrated that both the genes and cellular processes affected by TCS or estrogen were significantly similar, indicating the possibility that TCS-mediated estrogenic activity occurred at the global transcriptome level. In conclusion, in vitro and gene-profiling results suggested that TCS exhibited estrogenic activity.

Effect of Maternal Triclosan Exposure on Neonatal Birth Weight and Children Triclosan Exposure on Children's BMI: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: Triclosan (TCS) is an environmental chemical with endocrine disrupting effects and can enter the body through the skin or oral mucosa. Human data about the effect of TCS exposure during pregnancy on neonatal birth weight and TCS exposure during childhood on children's growth are scarce. Objectives: To investigate the association between maternal urinary TCS level and neonatal birth weight, as well as children's urinary TCS level and children's body mass index (BMI). Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. Finally, seven epidemiological articles with 5,006 participants from September 25, 2014 to August 10, 2018 were included in the meta-analysis to identify the relationship between maternal exposure to TCS and neonatal birth weight. On the other hand, three epidemiological articles with 5,213 participants from July 22, 2014 to September 1, 2017 were included in another meta-analysis to identify the relationship between children's exposure to TCS and children's BMI. We used Stata 16.0 to test the heterogeneity among the studies and calculating the combined effect value 95% confidence interval (CI) of the selected corresponding models. Results: TCS exposure during pregnancy was not significant associated with neonatal birth weight. The results of forest plots were as follows: ES (Estimate) = 0.41 (95% CI: -11.97-12.78). Children's urinary TCS level was also irrelevant associated with children's BMI: ES = 0.03 (95% CI: -0.54-0.60). Conclusions: This meta-analysis demonstrated that there was no significant association between maternal TCS level and neonatal birth weight, also there has no relationship between children's urinary TCS level and children's BMI.

Association Between Gestational Exposure to Toxicants and Autistic Behaviors Using Bayesian Quantile Regression.

Autism spectrum disorder, which is characterized by impaired social communication and stereotypic behaviors, affects 1%-2% of children. Although prenatal exposure to toxicants has been associated with autistic behaviors, most studies have been focused on shifts in mean behavior scores. We used Bayesian quantile regression to assess the associations between log2-transformed toxicant concentrations and autistic behaviors across the distribution of behaviors. We used data from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals study, a pan-Canadian cohort (2008-2011). We measured metal, pesticide, polychlorinated biphenyl, phthalate, bisphenol-A, and triclosan concentrations in blood or urine samples collected during the first trimester of pregnancy. Using the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), in which higher scores denote more autistic-like behaviors, autistic behaviors were assessed in 478 children aged 3-4 years old. Lead, cadmium, and most phthalate metabolites were associated with mild increases in SRS scores at the 90th percentile of the SRS distribution. Manganese and some pesticides were associated with mild decreases in SRS scores at the 90th percentile of the SRS distribution. We identified several monotonic trends in which associations increased in magnitude from the bottom to the top of the SRS distribution. These results suggest that quantile regression can reveal nuanced relationships and, thus, should be more widely used by epidemiologists.