Resveratrol mitigates triclosan-induced pyroptosis in chicken spleen by improving immune imbalance and alleviating oxidative stress

Abstract

Abstract Triclosan (TCS) is a broad-spectrum antibacterial agent widely incorporated into daily chemical products. It enters the environment primarily through domestic wastewater, posing risks to animals, plants, and human health. Resveratrol (RES) is a plant-derived phenolic antioxidant with well-documented antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This study aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying TCS-induced spleen injury and the protective effects of RES. In this study, sixty 10-week-old Hy-Line Pink chickens were randomly divided into three groups: control group (corn oil), TCS exposure group (150 mg/kg/day body weight, oral gavage), and TCS + RES alleviation group (TCS at 150 mg/kg/day body weight + RES at 400 mg/kg in diet) for four weeks. The impacts of TCS on the chicken spleen as well as the ameliorative effects of RES were investigated using network toxicology, hematoxylin and eosin staining, immunofluorescence, biochemical assays, and gene expression analyses. The results demonstrated that RES effectively alleviated TCS-induced structural abnormalities in splenic tissue, including blurred red-white pulp boundaries, reduced white pulp, red pulp congestion, and expanded interstitial spaces. The protective effects of RES were potentially associated with the expression of macrophage migration inhibitory factor, aryl hydrocarbon receptor, and ATP-binding cassette transporter G2. Furthermore, RES mitigated TCS-induced immune imbalance—including dysregulation of M1/M2 polarization, type 1 helper T cell/type 2 helper T cell imbalance, and cluster of differentiation 4 positive T cells infiltration—as well as oxidative stress and pyroptosis. This study provides novel insights into the toxicological mechanisms of TCS on the spleen, underscores the therapeutic potential of RES against bactericide-induced splenic toxicity, and offers a theoretical foundation for the safer use of antibacterial agents in daily life and poultry production.