Histochemical and morpho­metrical study of mouse intestine epithelium after a long term diet containing genetically modified soybean

Abstract

Diet can influence the structural characteristics of both small and large intestine. In this study, we investigated the duodenum and colon of mice fed on genetically modified (GM) soybean during their whole life span (1–24 months) by focusing our attention on the histological and ultrastructural characteristics of the epithelium, the histochemical pattern of goblet cell mucins, and the growth profile of the coliform population. Our results demonstrate that controls and GM-soybean fed mice are similarly affected by ageing. Moreover, the GM soybean-containing diet does not induce structural alterations in duodenal and colonic epithelium or in coliform population, even after a long term intake. On the other hand, the histochemical approach revealed significant diet-related changes in mucin amounts in the duodenum. In particular, the percentage of villous area occupied by acidic and sulpho-mucin granules decreased from controls to GM-fed animals, whereas neutral mucins did not change.

The silent biological Hiroshima: GMOs-Induced Darwinian devolution of human race

“…Nonetheless, histochemical scrutiny disclosed significant dietrelated changes in amounts of the duodenum's mucin. In particular, the percentage of villous area occupied by acidic and sulpho-mucin granules decreased from controls to GM-fed animals, whereas neutral mucins did not change [18].…”

“…CP4EPSPS gene conferring high level tolerance to glyphosate, fed mice were likewise affected by aging [18]. Comparably, long term feeding on GM soybean (1-24 months) did not induce structural alterations in duodenal and colonic epithelium or in coliform population.…”

The addition of whole soy flour to cafeteria diet reduces metabolic risk markers in wistar rats

“…It also possesses phytochemicals, including isoflavones and phytate, which may contribute to the reduction of the risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis [ 6 - 8 ]. However, it has been reported that soy, in addition to a balanced diet, changes the intestinal morphology, impairing the nutrient absorption in the small intestine [ 9 , 10 ].…”

On the future contents of a small journal of histochemistry

“…23–27 Most of these studies were performed by light (essentially conventional or confocal fluorescence) microscopy, but electron microscopy and ultrastructural immunohistochemistry has also been used for investigating functional changes in cells from different tissues or under different experimental conditions. 28–37 To localize specific nuclear components, multiple immunohistochemical techniques and quantitative analyses of the immunogold labelling have been utilized, 38 and this approach proved to be especially appropriate to detect the alteration in transcription and splicing which characterizes specific diseases. 24,31,39 …”