A comparison of the effects of three GM corn varieties on mammalian health
Open accessAbstract
We present for the first time a comparative analysis of blood and organ system data from trials with rats fed three main commercialized genetically modified (GM) maize (NK 603, MON 810, MON 863), which are present in food and feed in the world. NK 603 has been modified to be tolerant to the broad spectrum herbicide Roundup and thus contains residues of this formulation. MON 810 and MON 863 are engineered to synthesize two different Bt toxins used as insecticides. Approximately 60 different biochemical parameters were classified per organ and measured in serum and urine after 5 and 14 weeks of feeding. GM maize-fed rats were compared first to their respective isogenic or parental non-GM equivalent control groups. This was followed by comparison to six reference groups, which had consumed various other non-GM maize varieties. We applied nonparametric methods, including multiple pairwise comparisons with a False Discovery Rate approach. Principal Component Analysis allowed the investigation of scattering of different factors (sex, weeks of feeding, diet, dose and group). Our analysis clearly reveals for the 3 GMOs new side effects linked with GM maize consumption, which were sex- and often dose-dependent. Effects were mostly associated with the kidney and liver, the dietary detoxifying organs, although different between the 3 GMOs. Other effects were also noticed in the heart, adrenal glands, spleen and haematopoietic system. We conclude that these data highlight signs of hepatorenal toxicity, possibly due to the new pesticides specific to each GM corn. In addition, unintended direct or indirect metabolic consequences of the genetic modification cannot be excluded.
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Detailed analyses have revealed alterations in kidney and liver functions that may be signs of early chronic diet intoxication, possibly explained at least in part by pesticide residues in GM feed.
“Detailed analyses have revealed alterations in kidney and liver functions that may be the signs of early chronic diet intoxication, possibly explained at least in part by pesticide residues in the GM feed (Séralini et al., 2007;Spiroux de Vendômois et al., 2009).”
From RETRACTED: Long term toxicity of a Roundup herbicide and a Roundup-tolerant genetically modified maize (2012) · cites this paper as Spiroux de Vendômois et al., 2009
Death in male rats was mostly due to the development of severe hepatorenal insufficiencies.
“Death in male rats was mostly due to the development of severe hepatorenal insufficiencies, confirming the first signs of toxicity observed in 90 day feeding trials with NK603 maize (Spiroux de Vendômois et al., 2009).”
From RETRACTED: Long term toxicity of a Roundup herbicide and a Roundup-tolerant genetically modified maize (2012) · cites this paper as Spiroux de Vendômois et al., 2009
Liver enzymes have been demonstrated as sex-specific in their expression patterns, including in a 90-day rat feeding trial of NK603 maize.
“Furthermore, liver enzymes have been clearly demonstrated as sex-specific in their expression patterns, including in a 90-day rat feeding trial of NK603 maize (Spiroux de Vendômois et al., 2009).”
From RETRACTED: Long term toxicity of a Roundup herbicide and a Roundup-tolerant genetically modified maize (2012) · cites this paper as Spiroux de Vendômois et al., 2009
Our findings show that the differences in multiple organ functional parameters seen from the consumption of NK603 GM maize for 90 days escalated over 2 years into severe organ damage in all types of test diets.
“Our findings show that the differences in multiple organ functional parameters seen from the consumption of NK603 GM maize for 90 days [3,7] escalated over 2 years into severe organ damage in all types of test diets.”
From Republished study: long-term toxicity of a Roundup herbicide and a Roundup-tolerantgenetically modified maize (2014) · cites this paper as [7]
Liver enzymes have been demonstrated as sex-specific in their expression patterns, including in a 90-day rat feeding trial of NK603 GM maize.
“Furthermore, liver enzymes have been clearly demonstrated as sex-specific in their expression patterns, including in a 90-day rat feeding trial of NK603 GM maize [7].”
From Republished study: long-term toxicity of a Roundup herbicide and a Roundup-tolerantgenetically modified maize (2014) · cites this paper as [7]
Death in male rats was mostly due to severe hepatorenal insufficiencies, confirming the first signs of toxicity observed in 90-day feeding trials with NK603 GM maize.
“Death in male rats was mostly due to the development of severe hepatorenal insufficiencies, confirming the first signs of toxicity observed in 90-day feeding trials with NK603 GM maize [7].”
From Republished study: long-term toxicity of a Roundup herbicide and a Roundup-tolerantgenetically modified maize (2014) · cites this paper as [7]
Our data show that the signs of liver and kidney toxicity seen at 90 days from consumption of NK603 GM maize escalate into severe disease over an extended period.
“Our data show that the signs of liver and kidney toxicity seen at 90 days from the consumption of NK603 GM maize [3,7] do indeed escalate into severe disease over an extended period.”
From Republished study: long-term toxicity of a Roundup herbicide and a Roundup-tolerantgenetically modified maize (2014) · cites this paper as [7]
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Self-citation
- Authors
- de Vendômois, J. S., Roullier, F., Cellier, D., & Séralini, G.-E.
- Affiliations
- Laboratoire d'Informatique, du Traitement de l'Information et des Systèmes (FR)
- Venue
- International Journal of Biological Sciences
- Publisher
- Ivyspring International Publisher
- Published
- 2009
- Volume
- 5
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 706-726
- ISSN
- 1449-2288 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC2793308
- OpenAlex
- W2103188354
- Cited by
- 160
- References
- 44
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 15 · 2013: 18 · 2012: 22
- FWCI
- 16.56
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by-nc
- Locations
- International Journal of Biological Sciences (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- HAL (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Genetically Modified Organisms Research
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Carcinogens and Genotoxicity Assessment
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Agricultural safety and regulations
- Keywords
- transgenic maize, MON810, delta-endotoxin, Roundup, hepatorenal toxicity, kidney, liver, hematopoietic system, sex effects, dose-dependent effects, rats, GMO safety
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Blood Chemical Analysis, Zea mays, Diet, Female, Health Status, Kidney, Kinetics, Liver, Male, Sex Characteristics, Urine, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Statistics, Nonparametric, Principal Component Analysis, Plants, Genetically Modified, Rats
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