Common toothpaste ingredient makes antibiotics less effective: study

Category: Health published by Shameen published: February 23, 2019, 2:30 pm EST Update: February 23, 2019, 2:30 pm EST

New York: According to researchers, a common ingredient in toothpastes and hand washing could reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics in the treatment of conditions such as urinary tract infections, which, if left untreated , may endanger the patient's life.

Triclosan is the active ingredient responsible for the "antibacterial" property that is added to toothpastes, mouthwashes and cosmetics. It is even added to clothing, baby toys and credit cards to reduce or prevent bacterial growth.

According to the study, conducted by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, exposure to triclosan could inadvertently lead bacteria to a state in which they would be able to tolerate normally lethal levels of antibiotics, including those commonly used to treat UTI.

Urinary tract infections occur when bacteria, mainly Escherichia coli (E. coli), enter and infect the urinary tract. Antibiotics such as Cipro are commonly used to kill bacteria and treat the infection.

Urinary tract infections are common, as is exposure to triclosan. About 10% of adults have levels high enough to prevent the growth of E. Coli.

In the study, published in the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, the team examined whether the presence of triclosan in the body was detrimental to the treatment of urinary tract infections.

They found that mice that drink triclosan-enriched water have triclosan levels in urine similar to those seen in humans.

"This result allowed us to test the impact of triclosan levels in human urine during antibiotic treatment of urinary tract infections in mice," said University Professor Petra Levin.

After the antibiotic treatment, the mice exposed to triclosan had a large number of bacteria in their urine and remained stuck to the bladder, but the unexposed mice had a significantly lower number of bacteria.

They found 100 times more bacteria in the urine of mice treated with triclosan, suggesting that antibiotics are less effective at treating urinary tract infections when triclosan is present.

Source: IANS