Tremorgenic mycotoxins from Aspergillus fumigatus as a possible occupational hea

[Guest guest]

Tremorgenic mycotoxins from Aspergillus fumigatus as a possible

occupational health problem in sawmills.

Authors:

Land CJ

Hult K

Fuchs R

Hagelberg S

Lundström H

Source: Appl Environ Microbiol. 1987, Apr; 53(4):787-90. [Applied

and environmental microbiology]

http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search/f?./temp/~vUnAFq:468

Abstract:

Wood-trimmers' disease, generally called extrinsic allergic

alveolitis, which affects workers in sawmills, is thought to be

caused by fungal diaspores. The importance of Aspergillus fumigatus

on the surface of wood dried in kilns is accentuated by its ability

to produce tremorgenic mycotoxins. Eight strains of A. fumigatus

from five different sawmills were isolated and cultivated on liquid

media, and one of the strains was also cultivated on wood blocks.

Extracts were prepared, and the tremorgenic reactions were induced

by oral administration of extracts to rats. Extracts of the strain

grown in liquid medium and on wood blocks induced very strong

tremorgenic reactions when administered orally to rats. Four other

strains induced mild tremorgenic reactions. High-performance liquid

chromatography analysis revealed two tremorgenic mycotoxins,

verruculogen and fumitremorgen C, in the five toxic strains. One

nontoxic strain produced detectable levels of verruculogen. These

results, coupled with the known resemblance of the acutely toxic

phase of wood-trimmers' disease to the symptoms produced by these

tremorgens, imply that wood-trimmers' disease and similar

occupational diseases are, at least in part, mycotoxicoses.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH):

Air Microbiology

Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic/*etiology

Animals

Aspergillus fumigatus/*pathogenicity

Female

Humans

Mycotoxins/analysis/*toxicity

Occupational Diseases/*etiology

Rats

Rats, Inbred Strains

CAS Registry Numbers:

Mycotoxins (0)

Language: English

International Standard Serial Number: 0099-2240 (Print)

Publication Types:

Journal Article

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Entry Month: September, 1987

Title Abbreviation: Appl Environ Microbiol

Year of Publication: 1987

Last Revision Date: June 9, 1987

Medline Citation: NLM

Country: UNITED STATES

Citation Subset: IM

Medline Title Abbreviation: Applied and environmental microbiology

Stat: MEDLINE

Document Number: medline/3555338