Excerpt from the Abstract

"...we carried out an ultrastructural morphometrical and immunocytochemical study on hepatocytes from mice fed on GM soybean, in order to investigate eventual modifications of nuclear components of these cells involved in multiple metabolic pathways related to food processing... Our observations demonstrate significant modifications of some nuclear features in GM-fed mice.

In particular, GM fed-mice show irregularly shaped nuclei, which generally represents an index of high metabolic rate, and a higher number of nuclear pores, suggestive of intense molecular trafficking. Moreover, the roundish nucleoli of control animals change in more irregular nucleoli with numerous small fibrillar centres and abundant dense fibrillar component in GM-fed mice, modifications typical of increased metabolic rate. Accordingly, nucleoplasmic (snRNPs and SC-35) and nucleolar (fibrillarin) splicing factors are more abundant in hepatocyte nuclei of GM-fed than in control mice.

In conclusion, our data suggest that GM soybean intake can influence hepatocyte [liver cell] nuclear features in young and adult mice."

Source: Malatesta M, Caporaloni C, Gavaudan S, et al "Ultrastructural Morphometrical and Immunocytochemical Analyses of Hepatocyte Nuclei from Mice Fed on Genetically Modified Soybean". Cell Structure and Function Vol. 27 (2002) , No. 4 pp.173-18. http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=3622

Similar changes in Pancreas and Testes

The same research team found similar ultramicroscopic changes in the pancreas and testicles of mice fed RR soybean.

Source: Malatesta M., Biggiogera M., Manuali E., Rocchi M.B.L., Baldelli B., Gazzanelli G.: Fine structural analyses of pancreatic acinar cell nuclei from mice fed on GM soybean. Eur. J. Histochem., 47:385-388, 2003;