Effects of 90-Day Feeding of Transgenic Maize BT 799 on the Reproductive System in Male Wistar Rats

Qian-ying Guo, Li-xia He, Han Zhu, Jun-li Shang, Ling-yan Zhu, Jun-bo Wang and Yong Li
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Qian-ying Guo: Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
Li-xia He: Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
Han Zhu: Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
Jun-li Shang: Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
Ling-yan Zhu: Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
Jun-bo Wang: Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
Yong Li: Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China

IJERPH, 2015, vol. 12, issue 12, 1-12

Abstract: BT799 is a genetically modified (GM) maize plant that expresses the Cry1Ac gene from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). The Cry1Ac gene was introduced into maize line Zhen58 to encode the Bt crystal protein and thus produce insect-resistant maize BT799. Expression of Bt protein in planta confers resistance to Lepidopteran pests and corn rootworms. The present study was designed to investigate any potential effects of BT799 on the reproductive system of male rats and evaluate the nutritional value of diets containing BT799 maize grain in a 90-day subchronic rodent feeding study. Male Wistar rats were fed with diets containing BT799 maize flours or made from its near isogenic control (Zhen58) at a concentration of 84.7%, nutritionally equal to the standard AIN-93G diet. Another blank control group of male rats were treated with commercial AIN-93G diet. No significant differences in body weight, hematology and serum chemistry results were observed between rats fed with the diets containing transgenic BT799, Zhen58 and the control in this 13-week feeding study. Results of serum hormone levels, sperm parameters and relative organ/body weights indicated no treatment-related side effects on the reproductive system of male rats. In addition, no diet-related changes were found in necropsy and histopathology examinations. Based on results of the current study, we did not find any differences in the parameters tested in our study of the reproductive system of male rats between BT799 and Zhen58 or the control.

Keywords: transgenic maize; BT799; Bacillus thuringiensis; reproductive toxicity; sperm parameters (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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