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Material provided by Professor Arpad Pusztai for Greenpeace press conference, 22 of June on MON863

Review of Some of the Significant Differences in the Mon 863 Study:

Measure

Function

Potential indicator

Follow-up tests needed

Comments

Increased Basophil Counts

Creates histamine

May indicate allergic reaction

IgE

Other studies suggest possible allergic reactions to GM Bt Maize as well.

Increased Lymphocyte Counts

Immune reactions to fight infections, etc.

Lymphocytes increase in the presence of infections, cancer, various toxins, and disease states

Immune-responsiveness assays, ELISPOT, etc

Researchers failed to conduct the customary dry weight test on internal organs, so we cannot be sure if the spleen, which is involved in the creation of lymphocytes, was also affected.

White Blood Cell Counts

Same as above

Same

Same

Same

Decreased Reticulocyte Count

Progenitors of mature erythrocytes (red blood cells)

Anaemia

An allowance of 5% variability in this count is the norm used in food experiments. Astoundingly, Monsanto said that the 52% decrease compared to the parent line was “attributable to normal biological variability.”

Decreased Kidney Weight

To clear waste products

Blood pressure problems

Functional clearance assays

Kidneys are essential vital organs; any inadequacy in kidney function is potentially life threatening.

Blood Sugar

Essential energy source for normal body function

Insulin and sugar/fat loading assays

An elevation of 10% cannot be written off as biologically insignificant, given the epidemic of diabetes.

There were also elevated levels of kidney inflammation, liver necrosis, and other observed changes. It is almost impossible to imagine that major lesions in important organs (kidneys, liver, etc) or changes in blood parameters (lymphocytes, granulocytes, glucose, etc.) that occurred in GM Maize-fed rats, is incidental and due to simple biological variability.