Abstract
The genetically modified maize event MON810 expresses a Bacillus thuringiensis-derived gene, which encodes the insecticidal protein Cry1Ab to control some lepidopteran insect pests such as the European corn borer. It has been claimed that the immune system may be affected following the oral/intragastric administration of the MON810 maize in various different animal species. In the frame of the EU-funded project GRACE, two 90-day feeding trials, the so-called studies D and E, were performed to analyze the humoral and cellular immune responses of male and female Wistar Han RCC rats fed the MON810 maize. A MON810 maize variety of Monsanto was used in the study D and a MON810 maize variety of Pioneer Hi-Bred was used in the study E. The total as well as the maize protein- and Cry1Ab-serum-specific IgG, IgM, IgA and IgE levels, the proliferative activity of the lymphocytes, the phagocytic activity of the granulocytes and monocytes, the respiratory burst of the phagocytes, a phenotypic analysis of spleen, thymus and lymph node cells as well as the in vitro production of cytokines by spleen cells were analyzed. No specific Cry1Ab immune response was observed in MON810 rats, and anti-maize protein antibody responses were similar in MON810 and control rats. Single parameters were sporadically altered in rats fed the MON810 maize when compared to control rats, but these alterations are considered to be of no immunotoxicological significance.
Highlights
The genetically modified (GM) maize event MON810 expresses a Bacillus thuringiensis-derived gene, namely, a truncated cry1Ab gene encoding an insecticidal protein (δ-endotoxin; Schnepf et al 1998), to control some lepidopteran insect pests such as the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis; Hill et al 1995)
Concerns regarding potential adverse health effects following the ingestion of the MON810 maize have been raised, and it has been claimed that the immune system in Atlantic salmon (Sagstad et al 2007; Gu et al 2013), mice (Finamore et al 2008; Adel-Patient et al 2011) and pigs (Walsh et al 2011) may be affected following the oral/intragastric
Feeding Wistar rats with a powder diet containing 60% Bt rice for 90 days did not induce the anti-Cry1Ab IgG and IgE antibody production in the animals, feeding Wistar rats with the powder diet containing 60% Bt rice spiked with 0.1% of purified Cry1Ab for 28 days led to the detection of low levels of anti-Cry1Ab-specific IgG antibodies, but not to detectable levels of IgE antibodies (Kroghsbo et al 2008)
Summary
The genetically modified (GM) maize event MON810 expresses a Bacillus thuringiensis-derived gene, namely, a truncated cry1Ab gene encoding an insecticidal protein (δ-endotoxin; Schnepf et al 1998), to control some lepidopteran insect pests such as the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis; Hill et al 1995). Kroghsbo et al (2008) suggested that exposure via inhalation, not ingestion, induced Cry1Ab-specific immune responses in Wistar rats, since the diet was given to the animals as a powdered preparation, which can be inhaled. In this context, Guerrero et al (2004, 2007) reported immunogenic effects of Cry1Ab applied via the intranasal route. This is in line with a study by Andreassen et al (2015a), which showed that the intranasal administration of purified Cry1Ab resulted in the production of anti-Cry1Ab-specific IgG1 and IgE antibodies in BALB/c mice
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