Journal Top Ten -- COLUMNS- Mold -- July 2006

ARTICLE: "Satratoxin G from the Black Mold Stachybotrys chartarum Evokes Olfactory Sensory Neuron Loss and Inflammation in the Murine Nose and Brain"

SUMMARY: Satratoxin G (SG) is a macrocyclic trichothecene mycotoxin produced by Stachybotrys chartarum, the "black mold" suggested to contribute etiologically to illnesses associated with water-damaged buildings. Using an intranasal instillation model in mice, the authors found that acute SG exposure specifically induced apoptosis of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) in the olfactory epithelium. Dose-response analysis revealed that the no-effect and lowest-effect levels at 24 hr postinstillation (PI) were 5 …