Roundup research on toxicity

**G*@aol.com**

Some of you may be interested in this new research that was brought to my 
attention by GM Watch.

Joe Cummins is Professor Emeritus of Genetics, University of Western Ontario.

Sally

2. via Prof Joe Cummins
PRESS RELEASE

Pr. Gilles-Eric SERALINI's group in the University of Caen (Normandy, France) 
just published original results concerning the toxicity of Roundup. It is one 
of the most used herbicides worldwide and the most used with genetically 
modified plants (GMOs).

The majority of GMOs commercialized in the world are designed for food and 
feed. These plants have been modified to remain alive after herbicide 
absorption, this herbicide being spread on the cultures.

This greatly facilitates its use, as well as the presence of its residues in 
the food chain. It is also evoked as a common pollutant in rivers.

It is shown in this work that human placental cells are very sensitiven to 
Roundup, to concentrations lower than the agricultural use. This could explain 
miscarriages and premature births in the United States in farmers. Moreover, 
below toxic levels, the effects of Roundup are measured on the synthesis of 
sexual hormones; this allow to classify this herbicide in potential endocrine 
disruptors. Finally, the effects of Roundup are always greater than those of 
glyphosate, which is known as its active compound.

This work was supported in particular by CRIIGEN (www.crii-gen.org) and by 
The "Fondation pour une Terre Humaine"

Contact : Pr. Gilles-Eric SERALINI, tel. 33 2 31 56 54 89, 
criigen@ibfa.unicaen.fr

Environmental health perspective
Differential effects of glyphosate and Roundup
on human placental cells and aromatase
Sophie Richard, Safa Moslemi, Herbert Sipahutar, Nora Benachour, Gilles-Eric 
Seralini
doi:10.1289/ehp.7728 (available at http://dx.doi.org/)
Online 24 February 2005
Abstract

Roundup is a glyphosate-based herbicide used worldwide including on most 
genetically modified plants in which it can be tolerated. Its residues may thus 
enter the food chain and glyphosate is found as a contaminant in rivers. Some 
agricultural workers using glyphosate have pregnancy problems, but its mechanism 
of action in mammals is questioned. Here we show that glyphosate is toxic on 
human placental JEG3 cells within 18 hr with concentrations lower than the 
agricultural use, and this effect increases with concentration and time, or in 
the presence of Roundup adjuvants. Surprisingly, Roundup is always more toxic 
than its active ingredient. We tested its effect on aromatase with lower 
non-toxic concentrations, the enzyme responsible for estrogen synthesis. The 
herbicide acts as an endocrine disruptor on aromatase activity and mRNA levels, and 
glyphosate interacts within the active site of the purified enzyme, but its 
effect is facilitated by Roundup formulation in microsomes or in cell culture. We 
conclude that endocrine and toxic effects of Roundup and not only glyphosate 
can be observed in mammals. We suggest that the presence of Roundup adjuvants 
enhances glyphosate bioavailability and / or bioaccumulation
http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=4933o

 © GM Watch MMII  :: 04 March 2005 ::
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