Article: Immune response of gene modified maize

21.11.2008

A study published in the journal of Argicultural and Food Chemistry has evaluated the immuneresponse to genetically modified (GM) maize to mice in vulnerable conditions. The among other study showed alterations in the spleen, circulating lymphocytes and gut.

 Abstract:

J. Agric. Food Chem.

Intestinal and Peripheral Immune Response to
MON810 Maize Ingestion in Weaning and Old Mice

^{ALBERTO FINAMORE, MARIANNA ROSELLI, SERENA BRITTI, GIOVANNI MONASTRA, ROBERTO AMBRA, AIDA TURRINI, AND ELENA MENGHERI*}

^{Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca per gli Alimenti e la Nutrizione, Via Ardeatina 546, 00178 Roma, Italy}

This study evaluated the gut and peripheral immune response to genetically modified (GM) maize in mice in vulnerable conditions. Weaning and old mice were fed a diet containing MON810 or its parental control maize or a pellet diet containing a GM-free maize for 30 and 90 days. The immunophenotype of intestinal intraepithelial, spleen, and blood lymphocytes of control maize fed mice was similar to
that of pellet fed mice. As compared to control maize, MON810 maize induced alterations in the percentage of T and B cells and of CD4+, CD8+, γδT, and R_T subpopulations of weaning and old mice fed for 30 or 90 days, respectively, at the gut and peripheral sites. An increase of serum IL-6, IL-13, IL-12p70, and MIP-1_ after MON810 feeding was also found. These results suggest the importance of the gut and peripheral immune response to GM crop ingestion as well as the age of
the consumer in the GMO safety evaluation.

The article can be found here