A widely used soap additive may worsen fatty liver disease

A recent study shows that triclosan, an antimicrobial found in many soaps and household products, worsens the fatty liver disease.

The study also explains how triclosan disrupts metabolism and the gut microbiome while removing natural liver cell protections.

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According to the researchers, triclosan’s widespread use in consumer products poses a risk of liver toxicity in humans.

A team from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine conducted the study.

In a 2014 mouse study, triclosan exposure promoted liver tumour formation by interfering with a protein involved in detoxification.

In this research, the researchers fed a high-fat diet to mice with type 1 diabetes. As previous studies have shown, the high-fat diet led to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

In humans, NAFLD is a growing problem that can lead to cirrhosis and cancer of the liver. Obesity and diabetes are both risk factors for NAFLD.

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Some of the mice were also given triclosan, which resulted in blood amounts similar to those shown in human trials. Triclosan enhanced the development of fatty liver and fibrosis in rats fed just a high-fat diet.

According to the research, the following is most likely happening: A high-fat diet stimulates the production of fibroblast growth factor 21, which helps protect liver cells from injury.

The researchers discovered that triclosan interferes with two molecules, ATF4 and PPARgamma, which are required for cells to produce the protective growth factor.

Not only that, but the antibiotic also affected a number of metabolism-related genes.

Furthermore, triclosan-exposed mice showed decreased diversity in their gut microbiomes, with fewer types of bacteria living in the intestines and a makeup comparable to that reported in NAFLD patients. In general, lower gut microbiome diversity is linked to poorer health.

The study found that typical elements people meet in everyday life—the ubiquitous presence of triclosan, together with the frequency of excessive dietary fat consumption—form a good recipe for fatty liver disease development.

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The new findings will help researchers better understand NAFLD risk factors and provide a new starting point for developing potential therapies to prevent and reduce the disease.

The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Image Credit: Getty