"The article below is a valuable article. It shows eating GM crops alters structure and function of the liver." - Prof Joe Cummins
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Ultrastructural Morphometrical and Immunocytochemical Analyses of Hepatocyte Nuclei from Mice Fed on Genetically Modified Soybean
Cell Structure and Function
Vol. 27 (2002) , No. 4 pp.173-18

Manuela Malatesta1), Chiara Caporaloni1)2), Stefano Gavaudan2), Marco B.L. Rocchi3), Sonja Serafini4), Cinzia Tiberi1) and Giancarlo Gazzanelli1)

1) Istituto di Istologia e Analisi di Laboratorio, via Zeppi s.n., University of Urbino

2) Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Umbria e delle Marche

3) Istituto di Biomatematica, Località Crocicchia, University of Urbino

4) Istituto di Chimica Biologica "G. Fornaini", via Saffi 2, University of Urbino

ABSTRACT.   No direct evidence that genetically modified (GM) food may represent a possible danger for health has been reported so far; however, the scientific literature in this field is still quite poor. Therefore, we carried out an ultrastructural morphometrical and immunocytochemical study on hepatocytes from mice fed on GM soybean, in order to investigate eventual modifications of nuclear components of these cells involved in multiple metabolic pathways related to food processing. Our observations demonstrate significant modifications of some nuclear features in GM-fed mice. In particular, GM fed-mice show irregularly shaped nuclei, which generally represents an index of high metabolic rate, and a higher number of nuclear pores, suggestive of  intense molecular trafficking. Moreover, the roundish nucleoli of control animals change in more irregular nucleoli with numerous small fibrillar centres and abundant dense fibrillar component in GM-fed mice, modifications typical of increased metabolic rate. Accordingly, nucleoplasmic (snRNPs and SC-35) and nucleolar (fibrillarin) splicing factors are more abundant in hepatocyte nuclei of GM-fed than in control mice. In conclusion, our data suggest that GM soybean intake can influence hepatocyte nuclear features in young and adult mice; however, the mechanisms responsible for such alterations remain unknown.