omb3dyw

ADVERSE IMPACTS OF TRANSGENIC CROPS/FOODS :A COMPILATION OF SCIENTIFIC REFERENCES WITH ABSTRACTSand intestinal drug metabolizing enzyme activities were studied in ratsintragastrically exposed for 2 weeks. The hepatic ethoxycoumarin O-deethylaseactivity increased about 2-fold with MCPA. Both 2,4-D and MCPA increased thehepatic epoxide hydrolase activity and decreased the hepatic glutathione S-transferase activity. MCPA also increased the intestinal activities of ethoxycoumarinO-deethylase and epoxide hydrolase. Glyphosate decreased the hepatic level ofcytochrome P-450 and monooxygenase activities and the intestinal activity of arylhydrocarbon hydroxylase. Clofibrate decreased the hepatic activities ofUDPglucuronosyltransferase with p-nitrophenol or methylumbelliferone as thesubstrate. Also 2,4-D decreased the hepatic activity of UDPglucuronosyltransferasewith p-nitrophenol as the substrate. MCPA decreased the intestinalactivities of UDPglucuronosyltransferase with either p-nitrophenol ormethylumbelliferone as the substrate. The results indicate that phenoxyaceticacids, especially MCPA, may have potent effects on the metabolism of xenobiotics.Glyphosate, not chemically related to phenoxyacids, seems to inhibitmonooxygenases. Whether these changes are related to the toxicity of thesexenobiotics remains to be clarified in further experiments.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-0773.1983.tb01876.x/Abstract44. Fog, L. (2007) : Aerial spraying of herbicide “damages DNA”. SciDev.net,May 17, 2007.Aerial spraying of a herbicide by the Colombian government on the border ofColombia and Ecuador has caused a high degree of DNA damage in localEcuadorian people, according to a study. The scientists, from the Pontificia CatholicUniversity in Ecuador, analysed blood samples from 24 Ecuadorians living withinthree kilometres of the border of the two countries. Aerial spraying of a herbicideformulation containing glyphosate sold under the name Roundup by Monsanto ¯took place on the Colombian side of the border between late 2000 and early2001. The Colombian government sprays illegal coca plantations used to makecocaine as part of its ‘war on drugs’. According to the paper, the application rate ofthe herbicide (litres per hectare) was 20 times the maximum recommended ratefor the formulated product. Half the individuals in the group received sprayingdirectly over their houses, and the blood samples were taken within two monthsof the spraying taking place.For comparison, blood samples were taken from 21Ecuadorian individuals living 80 kilometres away from the border, where aerialspraying of the herbicide formulation did not take place. In addition to expectedsymptoms including vomiting and diarrhoea, blurred vision, and difficulty inbreathing the researchers found a significantly higher degree of DNA damage600 to 800 per cent higher in the people living near the border compared withthose 80 kilometres away. The researchers ruled out tobacco, alcohol, nonprescriptiondrugs and asbestos as causing the DNA damage. None of theindividuals used or had been exposed to other herbicides or pesticides when thesamples were taken. DNA damage may activate genes associated to thedevelopment of cancer, lead researcher Cesar Paz y Miño told SciDev.Net, andmay also lead to miscarriage or malformations in embryos. Both Colombia andEcuador have formed national scientific and technical commissions to study the(64)