[PHNUTR-L] Latest GMO Research: Decreased Fertility, Immunological Alterations and Allergies

[Kathrynne Holden]

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Latest GMO Research: Decreased Fertility, Immunological Alterations and 
Allergies

Dr. Gregory Damato, Ph.D.

http://www.NaturalNews.com/025001.html


(NaturalNews) Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are created through 
an inexact science of shooting genes spliced from bacteria, viruses, 
insects, animals or humans with a .22 caliber pistol into the DNA of 
plants or animals laced with a metal such as tungsten. This unsafe 
science ostensibly supplants millions of years of evolution with little 
or no scientific justification. In fact, recent research on GMO crops 
have reported yields to be between 4 to 20 percent less than 
conventional crops [1-6].

In the 1970's when genetic engineered was pioneered, scientists believed 
the genome was static and genes could be altered in a uniform manner 
with the organism only expressing the one intended modification. As 
research progressed in the 1980's, scientists scrapped the idea of the 
static genome and moved towards a dynamic genomic belief model. This 
came about from the realization that by inserting a new gene into a 
plant, a cascade of unintended consequences arose. Scientists found that 
there was no possible way to introduce a new gene into an organism and 
only get one intended result. The genes quickly changed based on a 
myriad of unknown circumstances that sometimes could not be repeated in 
the lab even though the exact same procedures were used. The levels of 
instability from these newly created organisms were overwhelming, but 
many scientists were silenced.

Safety has always been the number one priority of consumers when it 
comes to GMOs; antithetically, the seed companies' only priority has 
been to increase profits at any expense. Therefore, it is no surprise 
that objective and unbiased researchers have recently added to the 
growing knowledge of the realities of the increased instability and 
unintended consequences regarding the long-term safety of GMOs. These 
researchers recently found clear links among the consumption of GM-corn 
and decreased fertility, immunological alterations in the gut and the 
exacerbation and creation of allergies.

Fertility in GM-Fed Mice
Scientists in Austria recently conducted the first ever long-term 
multi-generational feeding study of Monsanto's genetically modified (GM) 
corn (NK 603 x MON 810) in mice [7]. The study consisted of two groups: 
an experimental group, which was fed a 33% GM corn (maize) feed, and a 
control group, which was fed an equivalent non-GM corn feed. The mice 
were allowed to live a natural life and were monitored for four 
generations. Scientists recorded organ weight, gene expression, body 
mass, metabolism, life span and number of offspring of both groups of 
mice. The scientists found that mice fed GM corn had significantly less 
pups per litter than the control group on the third and fourth 
generation. Furthermore, pups whose parents were fed GM-feed weighed 
less at birth and at weaning and experienced significantly higher 
mortality rates than those fed non-GM corn. Lead author of the study 
Professor Zentek reported that there was a direct link between the 
decrease in fertility and the GM diet and mice fed non-GM corn 
reproduced more efficiently.

Gene Expression in GM-Fed Mice
Using a microarray analysis, the scientists reported that 1016 genes had 
been differentially expressed in the mice fed GM corn with most being 
up-regulated. Essentially, the GM-fed mice had hundreds of their 
proteins, which are encoded by genes, expressed in an increased or 
decreased quantity, which as a corollary altered certain biological 
processes in their bodies. For example, sensory perception, ion 
transport and the ability to breakdown proteins (proteolysis) were 
down-regulated or under-expressed, while the ability of the mice to 
regulate T-cells (a primary immunological response especially in 
fighting cancer), circadian rhythm regulation and the FAS signalling 
pathway (which is a major pathway for cell apoptosis and is important in 
the elimination of cancers) were over-expressed. This study elucidates 
the fact that biologic damage from GMOs may not manifest until the third 
generation and details strong evidence for the mandatory labelling, and 
even more so for the mass extinction, of these highly dangerous and 
unnecessary foods.

Immunological Reactions in GM Fed Mice
Italian researchers at the National Institute of Nutrition in Rome, 
Italy, recently published a study examining the effects of a 50 percent 
GM-corn (maize) diet on the intestinal immune response of mice [8]. The 
GM-corn was known as Monsanto's transgenic MON810 and was created using 
an inserted foreign DNA sequence from the bacteria, Bacillus 
thuringiensis (BT) designed to protect against a fungus known as the 
Fusarium species. The study was conducted over 30 and 90-day periods 
respectively, with mice from two groups, weaning age (mean of 21 days) 
and old age (mean of 15 months). The study evaluated the peripheral and 
intestinal immune response to long-term GM-corn and non-GM corn 
consumption of each group across the two periods. The young and old mice 
were used because of the lack of research on these subsets as well as 
their potential susceptibility to immunological changes, more so than 
non-aged adult animals.

The results of the long-term study revealed significant changes in the 
immunophenotype of the gut, spleen, circulating lymphocytes and the 
level of serum cytokines of the mice fed GM-corn. Immunophenotyping 
essentially determines the expression of proteins by the cells. Any 
differences in the expression of proteins between the control and the 
experimental groups would be attributable to the GM diet. Specifically, 
the researchers found an increased presence of several cytokines in the 
GM fed mice, which are specifically involved in inflammatory and 
allergic responses by the body. The researchers also found an increase 
in the protein expression of lymphocytes (TCRγδ+ population). Within 
this population, the γδT cells reside in the gut and are associated with 
regulatory elements of the immune response, specific to infectious 
agents [9-11]. Elevated amounts γδT cells have been found in asthmatics, 
children suffering from food allergies, gastrointestinal symptoms and 
juvenile arthritis [12]. The GM-fed mice also exhibited significant 
alterations in the number of T and B cells, indicating a significantly 
abnormal immune response to the genetically altered feed. Furthermore, 
other researchers have found a newly expressed protein from the 
consumption of GM corn (50 kDa γ-zein), which is a widely known 
allergenic protein [13]. In conclusion, from the newly presented 
research it is apparent that ingesting genetically engineered BT corn 
not only invokes an anaphylaxis (allergenic) response within the body, 
it also deregulates several proteins, inhibits fertility and alters the 
overall immunological response by the body. Clearly, Monsanto whose sole 
goal is to control the world through food, has a lot of explaining to do.

References

1. Benbrook, C.M. (1999). Evidence of the magnitude and consequences of 
the Roundup Ready soybean yield drag from university-based varietal 
trials in 1998. Ag BioTech InfoNet Technical Paper Number 1, 
www.biotech-info.net/RR_yield_drag_98.pdf
2. University of Nebraska (2000). 'Research shows Roundup Ready soybeans 
yield less', IANR News Service, www.biotechinfo.net/Roundup_soybeans_yi...
3. Griffiths, M. (1999). 'The emperor's transgenic clothes', Are GMO 
lemmings in the US leading all of us over the biotechnology cliff? 
www.btinternet.com/~nlpwessex/Documents...
4. www.btinternet.com/~nlpwessex/Documents...
5. Oplinger, E.S., M.J. Martinka, & Schmitz, K.A. (1999) 'Performance of 
transgenetic soybeans - Northern US', presented to the ASTA Meetings, 
Chicago.
6. Reported in Farmers Weekly (UK), 4th December 1998. Clark, E.A. 
(1999) '10 reasons why farmers should think twice before growing GE 
crops', www.plant.uoguelph.ca/faculty/eclark/10...
7. Cyran, N. Gully, S., Handl, G., Hofstatter, F. Meyer, Skalicky, M., & 
Steinborn, R. (November 11, 2008). Biological effects of transgenic 
maize NK603xMON810 fed in long term reproduction studies in mice. 
Unpublished report: Institute fur Ernahrung, Austria.
8. Finamore, A., Roselli, M., Britti, S., Monastra, G., AMbra, R., & 
Mengheri, E. (In Press). Intestinal and peripheral immune response to 
MON810 maize ingestion in weaning and old mice. Journal of Agriculture 
and Food Chemistry.
9. Tsuchiya, T.; Fukuda, S.; Hamada, H.; Nakamura, A.; Kohama, Y.; 
Ishikawa, H.; Tsujikawa, K.; Yamamoto, H. Role of γδ T cells in the 
inflammatory response of experimental colitis mice. Journal of 
Immunology. 2003, 171, 5507–5513.
10. Groh, V., Steinle, A., Bauer, S., Spies, T. (1998). Recognition of 
stress induced MHC molecules by intestinal epithelial γδ T cells. 
Science, 279, 1737–1740.
11. Mombaerts, P., Arnoldi, J., Russ, F., Tonegawa, S., & Kaufmann, S. 
H. (1993). Different roles of R and γδ T cells in immunity against an 
intracellular bacterial pathogen. Nature, 365, 53–56.
12. Kokkonen, J., Arvonen, M., Va¨ha¨salo, P., & Karttunen, T. J. 
(2007). Intestinal immune activation in juvenile idiopathic arthritis 
and connective tissue disease. Scandanavian Journal of Rheumatology, 36, 
386–389.
13. Pasini, G., Simonato, B., Curioni, A., Vincenzi, S., Cristaudo, A., 
Santucci, B., Peruffo, A. D.; Giannattasio, M. (2002). IgE-mediated 
allergy to corn: a 50 kDa protein, belonging to the reduced soluble 
proteins, is a major allergen. Allergy, 57, 98–106.

About the author
Dr. Gregory Damato enjoys a vegan lifestyle and runs a Quantum 
Biofeedback clinic treating various clients ranging from autism to 
cancer. He is currently authoring a book for parents educating on the 
many hidden dangers of vaccines, chemical toxicity in toys, GM foods, 
the effects of EMFs and EMRs and ways to combat rising childhood illness 
and neurological disease by naturally building immunity, detoxification 
and nutrition. His goal is to increase global awareness of the myriad of 
health issue facing us today and the fact that 100% of them are 
preventable and completely reversible.
-- 
Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD
"Ask the Parkinson Dietitian"  http://www.parkinson.org/
"Eat well, stay well with Parkinson's disease"
"Parkinson's disease: Guidelines for Medical Nutrition Therapy"
http://www.nutritionucanlivewith.com/