Long-term toxicity study on transgenic rice with Cry1Ac and sck genes

•Long-term intake of the transgenic Cry1Ac/sck rice has no adverse effects on rats.•Mortality rates and tumor incidences were comparable for all groups.•Results of survival analysis were comparable for all groups.•The transgenic rice is considered to be as safe and nutritious as the parental rice.

In the present work, we evaluated the chronic effects of the transgenic insect-resistant rice carrying Cry1Ac and sck genes on Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats through a 78-week feeding study. Based on the gender and weight, 180 SD rats were randomly and evenly assigned into three groups. GM rice and non-GM rice were separately formulated into diets at high levels. AIN-93 diet was used as a nutritional control. Body weight, food consumption, hematology and serum chemistry were monitored regularly. Rats were sacrificed for organ weight measurement and pathological examination at 52 weeks and 78 weeks. Body weight, food consumption, mortality rates, tumor incidences and pathological findings showed no significant difference among the three groups. Although certain differences in some hematology, serum chemistry parameters and relative organ weights were observed between GM rice group and control groups, they were not considered as treatment-related. Taken together, long-term intake of transgenic rice carrying Cry1Ac and sck genes at a high level exerts no unintended adverse effects on rats.