by: J. D. Heyes – Natural News –
A new study by Egyptian researchers has found that Bt corn is not substantially equal to non-genetically modified parent corn and is actually toxic to rats after barely three months.
Meanwhile, a second study, which examined the effects on rats on a diet containing the GM corn, found that it caused untoward changes in body organ function and weight, as well as blood biochemistry which indicated possible toxicity, according to a summary by GMWatch.org.
The site also reported that a third study, a histopathological examination, was carried out on the rats fed the genetically modified corn. Researchers found clear signs of organ pathology in the group fed GM corn versus a group fed with non-GM maize. This study found obvious signs of pathology, especially in the liver, kidney and small intestine. Also, an examination of the testes revealed tissue necrosis (death) and desquamation (shedding) of the spermatogonial cells, which form the foundation of sperm cells and, as such, male fertility, and only after 91 days of feeding.
In particular, researchers tested Monsanto’s Ajeeb YG (YieldGuard), which was genetically modified to be insect-resistant. According to an abstract of the studies:
For the last decades there has been a growing interest from the food crop industry to construct and produce genetically modified (GM) crops with the primary goal to significantly increase the yield and avoid the use of pesticides. At present, GM crops are grown and consumed by humans in many countries, for example corn expressing the insecticidal gene.
Organ weight, function, blood serum all affected
Scientists note that an important requirement in any toxicological experiment involving GM crops is the ability to assess the effects of “xenobiotics,” which is a chemical found in an organism that is not normally produced or expected to be present in that organism. For many organs, this testing is done through macroscopic examination of the organs – measuring organ weight, as well as conducting a histopathological examination of the tissue.
