Inhalation of Stachybotrys chartarum causes pulmonary arterial hypertension in mice.

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A new paper:

Int J Exp Pathol. 2008 Jun;89(3):201-8.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18460072

Inhalation of Stachybotrys chartarum causes pulmonary arterial

hypertension in mice.

Ochiai E, Kamei K, Watanabe A, Nagayoshi M, Tada Y, Nagaoka T, Sato K,

Sato A, Shibuya K.

Department of Pathogenic Fungi, Medical Mycology Research Center,

Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.

Inhalation of Stachybotrys chartarum, a ubiquitous fungus in our

living environment, has been suspected as a cause of acute idiopathic

pulmonary haemorrhage in infants, but its relation to human diseases

is not yet known. The aim of present study was to investigate the

effect of repeated intratracheal injection of the fungus into mice,

paying special attention to the pulmonary vascular system. Spores of

S. chartarum were injected into the trachea of mice from 6 to 18 times

over 4-12 weeks, and the lungs were examined by histopathology,

morphometrics and haemodynamics. When 1 x 10(4) spores/mouse were

injected, histopathological examination showed the development of

pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Symmetrical thickening of the

intima and media of the pulmonary arterial walls was seen after six

injections over 4 weeks. Right ventricular hypertrophy was also

evident after 12 injections. PAH was confirmed by the elevation of

right ventricular systolic pressure (20.1 +/- 5.7 mmHg in the injected

group vs. 12.0 +/- 2.4 mmHg in the control group, P < 0.01). This

study showed that the inhalation of S. chartarum caused PAH in mice,

suggesting a potential of S. chartarum as a cause of human health

problem such as PAH.

Publication Types:

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