Role Of Triclosan (TCS)-Containing Hand Washes In Hormonal Imbalance And Impotency

Abstract

Research shows that, triclosan disrupts the biosynthesis of testosterone. when tested on isolated testicular leydig cells with various dosages, it was found out that triclosan dose-dependently decreases testosterone, and the mechanism is as follows: triclosan decreases the activity of adenylyl cyclase enzyme, resulting in the drop of cAMP (cyclic adenosine monophosphate). Another research shows that, triclosan completely hammered thyroid hormones, lowered luteinizing hormone levels, follicle stimulating hormone levels, and cholesterol synthesis. Concerns over triclosan interfering with the body‘s thyroid hor-mone metabolism led to a study that found that triclosan had a marked hypothermic effect, lowering the body temperature, and overall causing a ―nonspecific depressant effect on the central nervous system. Another study associated exposure to low levels (0.03 mi-crog/L) of triclosan with disrupted thyroid hormone. Due to the close resemblance of triclosan to certain estrogens, a more recent paper in Environment International shows that triclosan inhibits estrogen sulfotransferase in sheep placenta,an enzyme which helps metabolize the hormone and transport it to the developing fetus. The suspicion is that triclosan would be dangerous in pregnancy if enough of it gets through to the placenta to affect the enzyme. Conclusively, it is recommended that hands should be washed with detergent and warm water, or with bleach and complement with alcohol-containing hand sanitizers rather than using triclosan containing hand washes; also when selecting prod-ucts such as hand washes, antiseptic soaps, facial cleansers, toothpaste, deodorants, al-ways watch out for Triclosan trade names/chemical names on the ingredient list such as trichlorocarbonalide, irgasan®, Irgacare® and Microban®, triclosan is used as a built-in antimicrobial for product protection.