[MassChestnutOrchards] Recent Roundup research

[Yvonne Federowicz]

> I just read about this article in a local blog, http://www.ecori.org/opinion/
> ...
> 
> Glyphosate is the main ingredient in Roundup.
> 
Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd All rights reserved.

 
Glyphosate-based herbicides are toxic and endocrine disruptors in human cell
lines 

 Céline Gasniera,  Coralie Dumontb  , Nora Benachoura , Emilie Claira  ,
Marie-Christine Chagnonb  and Gilles-Eric Séralinia
aUniversity of Caen, Institute of Biology, Lab. Biochemistry EA2608,
Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen cedex, France

bUniversity of Burgundy, Lab. Food Toxicology UMR1129, 1 Esplanade Erasme,
21000 Dijon, France
 

Received 10 April 2009; 
revised 4 June 2009; 
accepted 8 June 2009. 
Available online 17 June 2009.

Abstract
Glyphosate-based herbicides are the most widely used across the world; they
are commercialized in different formulations. Their residues are frequent
pollutants in the environment. In addition, these herbicides are spread on
most eaten transgenic plants, modified to tolerate high levels of these
compounds in their cells. Up to 400 ppm of their residues are accepted in
some feed. We exposed human liver HepG2 cells, a well-known model to study
xenobiotic toxicity, to four different formulations and to glyphosate, which
is usually tested alone in chronic in vivo regulatory studies. We measured
cytotoxicity with three assays (Alamar Blue®, MTT, ToxiLight®), plus
genotoxicity (comet assay), anti-estrogenic (on ER?, ER?) and
anti-androgenic effects (on AR) using gene reporter tests. We also checked
androgen to estrogen conversion by aromatase activity and mRNA. All
parameters were disrupted at sub-agricultural doses with all formulations
within 24 h. These effects were more dependent on the formulation than on
the glyphosate concentration. First, we observed a human cell endocrine
disruption from 0.5 ppm on the androgen receptor in MDA-MB453-kb2 cells for
the most active formulation (R400), then from 2 ppm the transcriptional
activities on both estrogen receptors were also inhibited on HepG2.
Aromatase transcription and activity were disrupted from 10 ppm. Cytotoxic
effects started at 10 ppm with Alamar Blue assay (the most sensitive), and
DNA damages at 5 ppm. A real cell impact of glyphosate-based herbicides
residues in food, feed or in the environment has thus to be considered, and
their classifications as carcinogens/mutagens/reprotoxics is discussed.
 
Keywords: Glyphosate; Roundup
<http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6TCN-4WJBC0R-1&_u
ser=489286&_coverDate=08%2F21%2F2009&_alid=1155487891&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_ori
g=search&_cdi=5175&_sort=r&_docanchor=&view=c&_ct=12&_acct=C000022678&_versi
on=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=489286&md5=6aca472878570900d0baf1c0343b909d#hit2>
; Endocrine disruptor; HepG2; Sexual steroids
 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mrsgale.fates.org/pipermail/masschestnutorchards/attachments/20100105/2154a4f8/attachment.html