Triclocarban Exposure Exaggerates Spontaneous Colonic Inflammation in Il-10^-/- Mice

Triclocarban (3,4,4′-trichlorocarbanilide, TCC) is a high-volume chemical used as an antimicrobial ingredient in many consumer and personal care products. In 2016, the Food and Drug Administration removed TCC from over-the-counter hand washing products. However, TCC remains approved to use in many other products and is a ubiquitous contaminant in the environment; furthermore, many common food crops can efficiently accumulate environmental TCC, resulting in potential human exposure through oral ingestion of contaminated food products. Therefore, human exposure to TCC could be a long-lasting and serious problem. A better understanding of its impact on human health could lead to important impact for public health and regulatory policy. Using a spontaneous colonic inflammation model in Il-10^-/- mice, here we demonstrate that exposure to TCC, at doses relevant to human exposure, exaggerates spontaneous colonic inflammation in Il-10^-/- mice, with reduced colon length, increase fecal concentration of lipocalin 2, enhanced gene expression of Il-6 and Ifn-γin the colon, and exaggerated crypt damage in the colon. Collectively, these results support that TCC could be a potential environmental risk factor of colitis and associated gut diseases.