Study: Black mold harms sense of smell

[Guest guest]

Friday, March 03, 2006

MSU researchers say black mold toxins could affect sense of smell

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State University researchers in the Center

for Integrative Toxicology have found that certain toxins produced by black

mold, that ubiquitous fungus found everywhere from damp basements to

thousands of buildings in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans and the U.S. Gulf

coast, are capable of killing nerve cells, essential for the sense of smell,

that are located in the nasal passages of mice.

The scientific study - the first of its kind to investigate the potential

harmful effects of inhaling mold toxins on the nasal passages - has been

released on the prepublication Web site of the scientific journal,

" Environmental Health Perspectives, " at

http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2006/8854/abstract.html.

It also will be presented by MSU researchers at the Society of Toxicology

annual meeting in San Diego in early March.

" Essentially, this toxin is killing off the cells needed for the sense of

smell, " said Jack Harkema, a University Distinguished Professor of

pathobiology and diagnostic investigation and one of the MSU researchers.

" This is the first animal study to really show that a toxin derived from the

spores of black mold may cause significant damage in the nose and the

frontal part of the brain involved in olfaction. "

According to the MSU researchers, these toxins found in black mold, also

known as Stachybotrys chartarum, specifically killed olfactory sensory

neurons in the nasal airways of exposed mice. These nasal neuronal cells are

known to detect odors and send electrical signals to the parts of the brain

that are necessary for the sense of smell, or olfaction.

-------- ----------- -------------

[Guest guest]

,

For some reason the media has focused only on the possibility of the

loss of sense of smell. What I am just as interested in is the

possibility of neurotoxicity and inflamation of the brain. For

example, the title is " Satratoxin G from the Black Mold Stachybotrys

chartarum Evokes Olfactory Sensory Neuron Loss and Inflammation in

the Murine Nose AND Brain. "

The last sentence of the conclusion in the abstract is, " These

findings suggest that neurotoxicity and inflammation within the nose

AND brain are potential adverse health effects of exposure to

satratoxins and Stachybotrys in the indoor air of water-damaged

buildings. "

BTW, " Murine " refers to rodents, not eye drops like I first thought.

<grin>.

Carl Grimes

Healthy Habitats LLC

-----

> Friday, March 03, 2006

>

>

>

> MSU researchers say black mold toxins could affect sense of smell

>

>

>

> EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State University researchers in the

> Center for Integrative Toxicology have found that certain toxins

> produced by black mold, that ubiquitous fungus found everywhere from

> damp basements to thousands of buildings in hurricane-ravaged New

> Orleans and the U.S. Gulf coast, are capable of killing nerve cells,

> essential for the sense of smell, that are located in the nasal

> passages of mice.

>

> The scientific study - the first of its kind to investigate the

> potential harmful effects of inhaling mold toxins on the nasal

> passages - has been released on the prepublication Web site of the

> scientific journal, " Environmental Health Perspectives, " at

> http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2006/8854/abstract.html.

>

> It also will be presented by MSU researchers at the Society of

> Toxicology annual meeting in San Diego in early March.

>

> " Essentially, this toxin is killing off the cells needed for the

> sense of smell, " said Jack Harkema, a University Distinguished

> Professor of pathobiology and diagnostic investigation and one of the

> MSU researchers. " This is the first animal study to really show that

> a toxin derived from the spores of black mold may cause significant

> damage in the nose and the frontal part of the brain involved in

> olfaction. "

>

> According to the MSU researchers, these toxins found in black mold,

> also known as Stachybotrys chartarum, specifically killed olfactory

> sensory neurons in the nasal airways of exposed mice. These nasal

> neuronal cells are known to detect odors and send electrical signals

> to the parts of the brain that are necessary for the sense of smell,

> or olfaction. -------- ----------- -------------

>

>