Work

[Screening and in vivo validation of key targets for triclosan-associated intervertebral disc degeneration].

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: OBJECTIVES: Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is an important pathological basis of chronic low back pain and various degenerative spinal disorders, and exposure to environmental pollutants may represent a potential exogenous factor affecting intervertebral disc homeostasis. Triclosan (TCS) is a widespread environmental antimicrobial pollutant, but its molecular relationship with IVDD remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the potential molecular links between TCS and IVDD, identify candidate molecules associated with TCS exposure-related IVDD, and validate them in vivo using animal experiments. METHODS: intervertebral disc height. Safranin O-Fast Green staining was used to evaluate nucleus pulposus cell number, intervertebral disc architecture, proteoglycan staining, and histological degeneration scores. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting were used to assess the expression of arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase (ALOX5) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARD) in intervertebral disc tissues. RESULTS: <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Under a dietary exposure regimen of 200 mg TCS/kg diet for 12 consecutive weeks, TCS induced an IVDD phenotype in mice. Decreased PPARD and increased ALOX5 expression were consistent with TCS exposure-related pathological changes in the intervertebral disc, suggesting that dysregulation of lipid metabolism and inflammatory lipid mediators may be involved in this process. PPARD and ALOX5 may represent key candidate molecules linking TCS exposure, lipid metabolic dysregulation, and IVDD.

Source: PubMed Central

DOI: 10.11817/j.issn.1672-7347.2026.260413