Human exposure to triclosan via toothpaste does not change CYP3A4 activity or plasma concentrations of thyroid hormones

Abstract

Triclosan is an antibacterial compound commonly used in cosmetics and personal care products for everyday use. As previously shown, triclosan is found in the plasma, urine and milk from large parts of different human populations. Recent studies have revealed that triclosan is able to activate the human pregnane X receptor in vitro and thus possibly affecting metabolism of drugs in humans via the induction of CYP3A4. Besides, triclosan has been shown to affect thyroid hormonal levels in rats in vivo. In the present study, we investigated if an everyday exposure to triclosan via triclosan-containing toothpaste for 14 days in 12 adult humans caused an increase in plasma 4beta-hydroxycholesterol, indicative of CYP3A4 induction, and/or alterations in thyroid hormonal status. The plasma triclosan concentrations increased from 0.009-0.81 ng/g to 26-296 ng/g (ranges) upon exposure. Despite this, there were no significant changes in plasma levels of either plasma 4beta-hydroxycholesterol or thyroid hormones during the exposure. This indicates that the normal use of triclosan-containing toothpaste is not likely to alter metabolism of drugs via CYP3A4 induction or cause adverse events because of thyroid disturbances in humans.