The time course of responses to intratracheally instilled toxic
Stachybotrys chartarum spores in rats
Rao CY, Burge HA, Brain JD
Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health,
Boston, MA 02115, USA. cnr3@cdc.gov
Stachybotrys chartarum is a fungal species that can produce
mycotoxins, specifically trichothecenes.
Exposures in the indoor environment have reportedly induced
neurogenic symptoms in adults and hemosiderosis in infants.
We present here a study that focuses on quantitatively assessing
the health risks from fungal toxin exposure. Male, 10 week old
Charles River-Dawley rats were intratracheally instilled with
approximately 9.6 million
Stachybotrys
chartarum spores in a saline suspension. The lungs were lavaged
0 h (i.e., immediately post-instillation), 6, 24 or 72 h after
instillation. Biochemical indicators (albumin, myeloperoxidase,
lactic dehydrogenase, hemoglobin) and leukocyte differentials in the
bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and weight change were measured. We
have demonstrated that a single, acute pulmonary exposure to a large
quantity of
Stachybotrys chartarum spores by intratracheal instillation
causes severe injury detectable by bronchoalveolar lavage.
The primary effect appears to be cytotoxicity and inflammation
with hemorrhage. There is a measurable effect as early as 6 h after
instillation, which may be attributable to mycotoxins in the fungal
spores. The time course of responses supports early release of some
toxins, with the most severe effects occurring between 6 and 24 h
following exposure. By 72 h, recovery has begun, although macrophage
concentrations remained elevated.
PMID: 11227851 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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