Lost Rebuttal from Dr. Ena
Dr. Ena Valikov is a Veterinarian from Huntington Beach, CA. She frequently comments on posts, usually those regarding transgenic technologies, and presents coherent arguments that elevate the discussion. She has a background in biochemistry so she speaks science well and can discuss the literature.
Yesterday morning my gmail account posted several responses to my September 21 post. There were two there from Dr. Ena. I was excited to read them and prepare my responses. Yet when I looked at the comment section of the article one of her comments was not there. Instead, there was an appropriately cynical comment from Dr. Ena about censoring the comments.
I have no idea what happened or where her comment disappeared to. However, I was disappointed and upset for several reasons. First, I appreciate an informed rebuttal because I am the first to admit, I might be wrong. I'm glad to consider all evidence in my synthesis. Second, I would never, and have never censored a comment. On one of my YouTube posts someone made rude and offensive comments about one of my student's foreign accents. I left it, and pointed out its ignorance. This is a marketplace of ideas and to be a censoring or dismissive gatekeeper is the stuff of activism, not science.
I'm posting here Dr. Ena's lost comment. I can't seem to find her as I don't have her actual email address, so I hope this is acceptable (I'll take this down if you don't want it posted, Ena). I just feel awful, I don't like how it taints the perception of communication in this forum.
So here I post Dr. Ena's points in response to my Sept 21 post, and her arguments supporting Seralini's recent work. My comments will appear below in the Comments section.
Ena Valikov has left a new comment on your post "Rats, Tumors and Critical Assessment of Science":
No, I don't think this study is trash, because I know mammary tumors to be estrogen sensitive. The study demonstrated elevated estradiol levels in both males and females and even proposed a mechanism of action by which EPSPS can alter estradiol levels.
As to the control groups and experimental group : why is there a study on biofortified composed of 15 rats, which none of you objected to?
Prima facie evidence that a phytocystatin for transgenic plant resistance to nematodes is not a toxic risk in the human diet.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
It is a study on 15 rats fed purified extract rather then the genetically modified rice… and the only biochemical/ hematological patient data actually published is
TABLE 1
Summary of results from the toxicological study of male Sprague-Dawley rats administered the cystatin OcIΔD861
OcIΔD86 [mg/(kg · d)]
0 0.1 1 10
Food intake, g
d 3–7 25.04 ± 0.94 25.80 ± 0.90 26.82 ± 1.48a 25.36 ± 1.42
d 7–10 26.06 ± 0.40 25.68 ± 1.32 27.74 ± 1.43a 25.82 ± 0.98
Organ weight
Cecum (empty), g 0.305 ± 0.033 0.334 ± 0.057 0.32 ± 0.013 0.35 ± 0.041a
Liver, g 3.12 ± 0.16 3.00 ± 0.072a 3.02 ± 0.090a 3.04 ± 0.12
Serum analysis
Potassium, mmol/L 4.51 ± 0.27 4.78 ± 0.318 4.66 ± 0.251 4.95 ± 0.82a
Urea, mmol/L 6.58 ± 0.82 5.61 ± 0.67b 6.09 ± 0.616 6.24 ± 0.887
Creatinine, μmol/L 39.0 ± 2.83 39.7 ± 3.02 41.0 ± 1.66 41.5 ± 3.21a
γ-Glutamyl transferase, U/L 0.07 ± 0.067 0.42 ± 0.67a 0.13 ± 0.11 0.18 ± 0.13
——————————————————————————————
Here is what a blood panel should actually look like:
Test Result Reference Range
ALK. PHOSPHATASE 294 10 – 150 U/L HIGH
ALT (SGPT) 57 5 – 107 U/L
AST (SGOT) 25 5 – 55 U/L
CK 171 10 – 200 U/L
GGT 4 0 – 14 U/L
AMYLASE 344 450 – 1240 U/L LOW
LIPASE 397 100 – 750 U/L
ALBUMIN 3.9 2.5 – 4.0 g/dL
TOTAL PROTEIN 8.4 5.1 – 7.8 g/dL HIGH
GLOBULIN 4.5 2.1 – 4.5 g/dL
TOTAL BILIRUBIN 0.2 0.0 – 0.4 mg/dL
DIRECT BILIRUBIN 0.1 0.0 – 0.2 mg/dL
BUN 34 7 – 27 mg/dL HIGH
CREATININE 1.2 0.4 – 1.8 mg/dL
CHOLESTEROL 336 112 – 328 mg/dL HIGH
GLUCOSE 131 60 – 125 mg/dL HIGH
CALCIUM 11.0 8.2 – 12.4 mg/dL
PHOSPHORUS 8.3 2.1 – 6.3 mg/dL HIGH
TCO2 (BICARBONATE) 25 17 – 24 mEq/L HIGH
CHLORIDE 87 105 – 115 mEq/L LOW
POTASSIUM 4.3 4.0 – 5.6 mEq/L
SODIUM 144 141 – 156 mEq/L
A/G RATIO 0.9 0.6 – 1.6
B/C RATIO 28.3
INDIRECT BILIRUBIN 0.1 0 – 0.3 mg/dL
TRIGLYCERIDE 98 20 – 150 mg/dL
NA/K RATIO 33 27 – 40
HEMOLYSIS INDEX (1) N
LIPEMIA INDEX (2) N
ANION GAP 36 12 – 24 mEq/L HIGH
WBC 26.7 5.7 – 16.3 K/uL HIGH
RBC 8.03 5.5 – 8.5 M/uL
HGB 19.1 12 – 18 g/dL HIGH
HCT 52.0 37 – 55 %
MCV 65 60 – 77 fL
MCH 23.8 19.5 – 26.0 pg
MCHC 36.7 32 – 36 g/dL HIGH
NEUTROPHIL SEG 80 60 – 77 % HIGH
NEUTROPHIL BANDS 5 0 – 3 % HIGH
LYMPHOCYTES 4 12 – 30 % LOW
MONOCYTES 11 3 – 10 % HIGH
EOSINOPHIL 0 2 – 10 % LOW
BASOPHIL 0 0 – 1 %
AUTO PLATELET 725 164 – 510 K/uL HIGH
PLATELET COMMENTS
PLATELETS APPEAR INCREASED.
ABSOLUTE NEUTROPHIL SEG 21360 3000 – 11500 /uL
ABSOLUTE NEUTROPHIL BAND 1335 0 – 300 /uL
ABSOLUTE LYMPHOCYTE 1068 1000 – 4800 /uL
ABSOLUTE MONOCYTE 2937 150 – 1350 /uL
ABSOLUTE EOSINOPHIL 0 100 – 1250 /uL
ABSOLUTE BASOPHIL 0 0 – 100 /uL
SENIOR PROFILE W/ TRIG : T4
Test Result Reference Range
T4 (1) 2.5 1.0 – 4.0 ug/dL
The study’s limitations are quite obvious: its duration is 21 days and N=15, not to mention that the rats weren’t fed the genetically engineered rice, but rather the isolated protein (which is not equivalent to the whole food).
Can you please explain how findings in 15 rats fed this GMO for 21 days imply safety in millions of people, eating the stuff for decades?
Because from my vantage point, the only time you really care about control group size, or statistics--is when a study comes out suggestive of long term harm. You know ... the kind you would never catch, if you only study the GMO for the required 90 days.
Posted by Ena Valikov to Illumination at September 21, 2012 10:47 PM
Yesterday morning my gmail account posted several responses to my September 21 post. There were two there from Dr. Ena. I was excited to read them and prepare my responses. Yet when I looked at the comment section of the article one of her comments was not there. Instead, there was an appropriately cynical comment from Dr. Ena about censoring the comments.
I have no idea what happened or where her comment disappeared to. However, I was disappointed and upset for several reasons. First, I appreciate an informed rebuttal because I am the first to admit, I might be wrong. I'm glad to consider all evidence in my synthesis. Second, I would never, and have never censored a comment. On one of my YouTube posts someone made rude and offensive comments about one of my student's foreign accents. I left it, and pointed out its ignorance. This is a marketplace of ideas and to be a censoring or dismissive gatekeeper is the stuff of activism, not science.
I'm posting here Dr. Ena's lost comment. I can't seem to find her as I don't have her actual email address, so I hope this is acceptable (I'll take this down if you don't want it posted, Ena). I just feel awful, I don't like how it taints the perception of communication in this forum.
So here I post Dr. Ena's points in response to my Sept 21 post, and her arguments supporting Seralini's recent work. My comments will appear below in the Comments section.
Ena Valikov has left a new comment on your post "Rats, Tumors and Critical Assessment of Science":
(KF) Ena, a replicated study would be great, unfortunately Seralini's stuff never is replicated.
Meaning that you don't have a single LONG TERM STUDY examining laboratory animals for Long Term Chronic effects.No, I don't think this study is trash, because I know mammary tumors to be estrogen sensitive. The study demonstrated elevated estradiol levels in both males and females and even proposed a mechanism of action by which EPSPS can alter estradiol levels.
As to the control groups and experimental group : why is there a study on biofortified composed of 15 rats, which none of you objected to?
Prima facie evidence that a phytocystatin for transgenic plant resistance to nematodes is not a toxic risk in the human diet.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
It is a study on 15 rats fed purified extract rather then the genetically modified rice… and the only biochemical/ hematological patient data actually published is
TABLE 1
Summary of results from the toxicological study of male Sprague-Dawley rats administered the cystatin OcIΔD861
OcIΔD86 [mg/(kg · d)]
0 0.1 1 10
Food intake, g
d 3–7 25.04 ± 0.94 25.80 ± 0.90 26.82 ± 1.48a 25.36 ± 1.42
d 7–10 26.06 ± 0.40 25.68 ± 1.32 27.74 ± 1.43a 25.82 ± 0.98
Organ weight
Cecum (empty), g 0.305 ± 0.033 0.334 ± 0.057 0.32 ± 0.013 0.35 ± 0.041a
Liver, g 3.12 ± 0.16 3.00 ± 0.072a 3.02 ± 0.090a 3.04 ± 0.12
Serum analysis
Potassium, mmol/L 4.51 ± 0.27 4.78 ± 0.318 4.66 ± 0.251 4.95 ± 0.82a
Urea, mmol/L 6.58 ± 0.82 5.61 ± 0.67b 6.09 ± 0.616 6.24 ± 0.887
Creatinine, μmol/L 39.0 ± 2.83 39.7 ± 3.02 41.0 ± 1.66 41.5 ± 3.21a
γ-Glutamyl transferase, U/L 0.07 ± 0.067 0.42 ± 0.67a 0.13 ± 0.11 0.18 ± 0.13
——————————————————————————————
Here is what a blood panel should actually look like:
Test Result Reference Range
ALK. PHOSPHATASE 294 10 – 150 U/L HIGH
ALT (SGPT) 57 5 – 107 U/L
AST (SGOT) 25 5 – 55 U/L
CK 171 10 – 200 U/L
GGT 4 0 – 14 U/L
AMYLASE 344 450 – 1240 U/L LOW
LIPASE 397 100 – 750 U/L
ALBUMIN 3.9 2.5 – 4.0 g/dL
TOTAL PROTEIN 8.4 5.1 – 7.8 g/dL HIGH
GLOBULIN 4.5 2.1 – 4.5 g/dL
TOTAL BILIRUBIN 0.2 0.0 – 0.4 mg/dL
DIRECT BILIRUBIN 0.1 0.0 – 0.2 mg/dL
BUN 34 7 – 27 mg/dL HIGH
CREATININE 1.2 0.4 – 1.8 mg/dL
CHOLESTEROL 336 112 – 328 mg/dL HIGH
GLUCOSE 131 60 – 125 mg/dL HIGH
CALCIUM 11.0 8.2 – 12.4 mg/dL
PHOSPHORUS 8.3 2.1 – 6.3 mg/dL HIGH
TCO2 (BICARBONATE) 25 17 – 24 mEq/L HIGH
CHLORIDE 87 105 – 115 mEq/L LOW
POTASSIUM 4.3 4.0 – 5.6 mEq/L
SODIUM 144 141 – 156 mEq/L
A/G RATIO 0.9 0.6 – 1.6
B/C RATIO 28.3
INDIRECT BILIRUBIN 0.1 0 – 0.3 mg/dL
TRIGLYCERIDE 98 20 – 150 mg/dL
NA/K RATIO 33 27 – 40
HEMOLYSIS INDEX (1) N
LIPEMIA INDEX (2) N
ANION GAP 36 12 – 24 mEq/L HIGH
WBC 26.7 5.7 – 16.3 K/uL HIGH
RBC 8.03 5.5 – 8.5 M/uL
HGB 19.1 12 – 18 g/dL HIGH
HCT 52.0 37 – 55 %
MCV 65 60 – 77 fL
MCH 23.8 19.5 – 26.0 pg
MCHC 36.7 32 – 36 g/dL HIGH
NEUTROPHIL SEG 80 60 – 77 % HIGH
NEUTROPHIL BANDS 5 0 – 3 % HIGH
LYMPHOCYTES 4 12 – 30 % LOW
MONOCYTES 11 3 – 10 % HIGH
EOSINOPHIL 0 2 – 10 % LOW
BASOPHIL 0 0 – 1 %
AUTO PLATELET 725 164 – 510 K/uL HIGH
PLATELET COMMENTS
PLATELETS APPEAR INCREASED.
ABSOLUTE NEUTROPHIL SEG 21360 3000 – 11500 /uL
ABSOLUTE NEUTROPHIL BAND 1335 0 – 300 /uL
ABSOLUTE LYMPHOCYTE 1068 1000 – 4800 /uL
ABSOLUTE MONOCYTE 2937 150 – 1350 /uL
ABSOLUTE EOSINOPHIL 0 100 – 1250 /uL
ABSOLUTE BASOPHIL 0 0 – 100 /uL
SENIOR PROFILE W/ TRIG : T4
Test Result Reference Range
T4 (1) 2.5 1.0 – 4.0 ug/dL
The study’s limitations are quite obvious: its duration is 21 days and N=15, not to mention that the rats weren’t fed the genetically engineered rice, but rather the isolated protein (which is not equivalent to the whole food).
Can you please explain how findings in 15 rats fed this GMO for 21 days imply safety in millions of people, eating the stuff for decades?
Because from my vantage point, the only time you really care about control group size, or statistics--is when a study comes out suggestive of long term harm. You know ... the kind you would never catch, if you only study the GMO for the required 90 days.
Posted by Ena Valikov to Illumination at September 21, 2012 10:47 PM
