Indoors Top 5 Most Toxic Plants

My dear mum sent me a list that is circulating in the internet concerning the Top 5 deadliest flowers.  Another one of those emails, I thought!!! Slightly exaggerated, if you consider that they are a direct threat to pet animals rather than people. The email suggests that some of these flowers have been in our own houses for many years now and have caused several human deaths, but in honesty it is more related to incidents involving cats and dogs. I was so curious I had to double check and share it with you. I did not rank them the way they did it because I could not be bothered to find a suitable standard  reference; but you can enjoy ranking them yourselves in accordance to the number of pets your neighbour had to treat so far... poor kittens. 

If you also feel curious to know whether youre harbouring a deadly flower in your house, take a look at this small list filled with interesting information actually picked from reliable sources (click on the images to enhance the info card).

Number 1 "Anthurium" [1]

Number 2 "Hydrangea" [2]

                  Number 3 "Azalea" [3]

Number 4 "Nerium oleander" [4]

Number 5 "Acacia cognata" [5]

[1] Anthurium spp. - NC State University, [http://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/all/anthurium-spp/], last visited on the 22nd of February 2015, last update unknown.

[2] Hydrangea - Pet Poison Helpline, [http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/hydrangea/], last visited on the 22nd of February 2015, last update unknown.

[3] Azalea - ASPCA, [https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/azalea], last visited on the 22nd of February 2015, last update unknown.

[4] Nerium oliander, Pet Poison Helpline, [http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/oleander/], last visited on the 22nd of February 2015, last update unknown.

[5] Acacia cognata - Shoot, [http://www.shootgardening.co.uk/plant/acacia-cognata], last visited on the 22nd of February 2015, last update unknown.

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The concomitant role of Helicobacter pylori in Sjogrens syndrome Evidence 1 to 5

                       

Sjogrens syndrome is a chronic inflammatory disorder [1], firstly observed by the Swedish ophthalmologist Henrik Sjogren in 1930. This syndrome is associated with autoimmune disturbance of the exocrine glands [2] by lymphocyte proliferation, mainly resulting in reduced glandular secretions and mucosal dryness, though it can cause a range of other symptoms such as pain and fatigue.

The reasons behind Sjogrens syndrome are still quite unknown and under intense scrutiny. Some clinical scientists relate Sjogrens to hormonal, genetic or environmental factors. However, there is a number of recent articles that support my personal belief that Sjogrens syndrome can result from the activity of the ubiquitous bacteria Helicobacter pylori after events of gastrointestinal stress.

Throughout the coming months I will be doing my own literature research to unveil what of pertinent is known today on the concomitant role of H. pylori in flaring up Sjogrens syndrome. In addition, I will be also looking a little deeper into the fragilities of H. pylori as an organism and presenting you with the latest research breakthrough on antimicrobial agents triggering this gram negative bacteria.

For reasons that have to do with time availability I wont be able to offer all the references consulted, but the most prominent pieces of research. I honestly hope that we can make this ride together and I wish you can contribute with any information you might find pertinent. The link between Sjogrens and H. pylori can be more than a mere coincidence as stated by many authors. 

The information collected from your peers, relatives or observations you have made on your own self (if you suffer of Sjogrens). Even indirect evidences will be taken into account for the building of my diagram/puzzle (see figure above). Evidence by evidence, step-by-step we might build a nice overview that can help us understand the aforementioned underlying role of H. pylori in primary (syndrome developed by itself) and secondary Sjogrens syndrome (in combination with another autoimmune disease) a lot better.

Evidence 1 -  H. pylori is worldwide spread and the commonest bacterial infection colonising the acid secreting part of the stomach where it can live for long periods of time.

Evidence 2 -  H. pylori has been identified as antigenic (stimulating the production of antibodies) for local accumulation of lymphoid tissue.

Evidence 3 -  H. pylori infection triggers either or both local and systemic immune response against bacterial antigens like, for example, the heat shock protein 60 (HSP60).

Evidence 4 - Prevalence of pylori infections and the average quantity of anti-pylori antibodies in sera from patients suffering with Sjogrens were significantly higher [2] than in control groups (even a control group suffering from connective tissue disease).

Evidence 5 - There is a significant correlation between presence of H. pylori Immunoglobulin G and Immunoglobulin M antibodies in patients with Sjogrens.

To be continued...

[1] Sjogrens syndrome, Arhritis Research UK, [http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis-information/conditions/sjogrens-syndrome.aspx], last visited on the 20th of July 2015, last update unknown.

[2] Miedany, Y. M., Baddour, M., Ahmed, I., Fahmy, H. (2005). "Sjogrens syndrome: concomitant H. pylori infection  and possible correlation with clinical parameters". Joint Bone Spine, 72(2), pp. 135-141.

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5 Years of The Toxicologist Today

Im in the writing up process of my thesis, looking for a future job and propelling my science serious games start-up with our first product. My blogging time has never been so reduced. Only a crazy flooding of deadlines would make me me feel overwhelmed and totally skip the posting of the blogs anniversary.

5 years. I have been blogging science, toxicology and more recently bacterial toxigenesis and antimicrobial resistance for 5 years.

Wow!, thats grand!

I cannot stop now. I must admit that after 5 years doing something you really love, you feel compromised to improve and respond to utter responsibilities that come from within. Its not a demand from audiences or egocentric appealing. Its you and your need for a democratisation of science. Its you and the public engagement of all the things you know that must be shared. Its you and a growing responsibility towards offering views on your passion.

Everyone who writes in blogs or any other type of modern communication channel will understand this. Its addictive, its a drug that drags you deeper and deeper to a state of mesmerising.

I dont know if what I am doing has been done to the level of excellency required. I cannot be that arrogant. Overall, this is also a learning process for myself as a science communicator. However, I am positive that I want to keep doing it, I want to improve my communication weapons, and fire ever more interesting articles... I am not done in scrutinising the concomitant role of H. pylori in primary Sjogrens syndrome... Im not done with that!!!!!! Ill prove it!

But there is also a lot more I want to research, read and write about. Though Im feeling a bit stung by the Toxicology of Time; where I see it dripping straight to the vein of my deadlines and stressing me out a bit. This is nothing new... researchers deal with this on a daily basis. I will have everything done in time, no worries.

Get ready for I am to bring a kick-ass article to celebrate the 5th anniversary of The Toxicologist Today. 

Get ready... for 5 years more.. with you on that side mirroring this blogs existence.

Thank you so much for the 81385 visits.

Ivan Lafayette (Pudget)

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