Transgenerational actions of environmental compounds on reproductive disease and identification of epigenetic biomarkers of ancestral exposures.

Manikkam M, Guerrero-Bosagna C, Tracey R, Haque MM, Skinner MK.
Source
Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America.
Abstract
Environmental factors during fetal development can induce a permanent epigenetic change in the germ line (sperm) that then transmits epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of adult-onset disease in the absence of any subsequent exposure. The epigenetic transgenerational actions of various environmental compounds and relevant mixtures were investigated with the use of a pesticide mixture (permethrin and insect repellant DEET), a plastic mixture (bisphenol A and phthalates), dioxin (TCDD) and a hydrocarbon mixture (jet fuel, JP8). After transient exposure of F0 gestating female rats during the period of embryonic gonadal sex determination, the subsequent F1-F3 generations were obtained in the absence of any environmental exposure. The effects on the F1, F2 and F3 generations pubertal onset and gonadal function were assessed. The plastics, dioxin and jet fuel were found to promote early-onset female puberty transgenerationally (F3 generation). Spermatogenic cell apoptosis was affected transgenerationally. Ovarian primordial follicle pool size was significantly decreased with all treatments transgenerationally. Differential DNA methylation of the F3 generation sperm promoter epigenome was examined. Differential DNA methylation regions (DMR) were identified in the sperm of all exposure lineage males and found to be consistent within a specific exposure lineage, but different between the exposures. Several genomic features of the DMR, such as low density CpG content, were identified. Exposure-specific epigenetic biomarkers were identified that may allow for the assessment of ancestral environmental exposures associated with adult onset disease.

Does Paternal Exposure to Agent Orange Cause Birth Defects? YOU BET IT DOES!!!

The COMMENTARY from F. Clarke Fraser, Molson Professor Emeritus of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, PQ, Canada was posted in error...his own statement at the conclusion of his article, "The fact that I am a consultant for Dow and Monsanto has had no influence on the content of this article" is just a little disingenuous...AOZ thinks perhaps Mr. Fraser is under the influence of too much Molson, putting his claim that his work for Dow and Monsanto does not influence his opinion into the realm of nonsense.
AOZ regrets the error.

Monsanto-Death is Our Business, and Business is Good

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Monsanto-a-half-century-o-by-Soren-Seelow-Le-M-120325-363.html
The giant U.S. agribusiness Monsanto was found guilty on Monday Feb. 13, after being sued by a small farmer from Charente who had been poisoned by a herbicide. This event is a first in France. On the scale of the history of the one-hundred-year-old multinational, this sentence constitutes just one more episode in an already long record of court procedures.
PCBs, Agent Orange, dioxin, GMO, Aspartame, growth hormones, herbicides (Lasso and Roundup) ... a number of products that have made the fortune of Monsanto, have been marred by health scandals and trials sometimes leading to their prohibition. But nothing has so far hindered the irresistible rise of this former chemical giant who converted back to biogenetics and has mastered the art of lobbying. Portrait of a multinational multi-recidivist.
READ MORE: http://www.opednews.com/articles/Monsanto-a-half-century-o-by-Soren-Seelow-Le-M-120325-363.html

Agent Orange/Dioxin related illnesses

Mayo Clinic Agent Orange discussion
http://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussions/1878-agent-orange-dioxin-related-illnesses?reply=9043#9043

Monsanto is now producing work books for our children at school

On Jan. 21, 2010, with its ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (558 U.S. 08-205 (2010)), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that corporations are people and, as such, are entitled to First Amendment rights...

Personhood does not confer morality or a sense of right and wrong.

http://www.whybiotech.com/resources/Kids-Biotech-Basics-Activity-Book.pdf

Abnormal Cancer Rates at Fort Detrick Tied to Monsanto’s Agent Orange‏

http://www.veteranstoday.com/2011/01/06/abnormal-cancer-rates-at-fort-detrick-tied-to-monsanto%E2%80%99s-agent-orange%E2%80%8F/
Monsanto’s Agent Orange; the gift of death that keeps on killing …
By Tim King at Salem-News.com
(BALTIMORE, Md.) – Deadly poisons at Fort Detrick in Frederick tied to Agent Orange and the Vietnam War period, have prompted public health officials in Maryland to warn that certain cancers are appearing to occur among younger people who live near the Army Base than in people statewide.
Clifford Mitchell of Maryland’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, told The AP Monday that investigators will probe deeper into the discrepancies involving liver, bone and endocrine cancers.
Marked differences in liver cancer have been noted, and health experts in Maryland as well as the EPA, say the matter needs substantial further investigation.
Our writer Chuck Palazzo knows about Agent Orange, more I suspect than any person should ever need to know. Chuck was a Marine in Vietnam. Today he lives in Vietnam and works in numerous projects to benefit the people in this place where he once fought. One of his articles, ‘Victims of Victims’, provides a memorable account of the sufferings that generations of Vietnamese have inadvertently handed down. Of course this is a major problem for the offspring of Americans who were in contact with Agent Orange.
I asked Chuck if he was surprised to learn of this development.
“Public pressure, especially by those veterans who have been directly affected including their family members demands more study. I am not surprised to hear of this development and won’t be surprised if a direct link is found between the victims in and around Ft. Detrick and Agent Orange,” said Palazzo.
READ MORE: http://www.veteranstoday.com/2011/01/06/abnormal-cancer-rates-at-fort-detrick-tied-to-monsanto%E2%80%99s-agent-orange%E2%80%8F/

EPA letter to Birth Defect Research for Children

Thanks to Betty Mekdeci, Executive Director,
Birth Defect Research for Children http://www.birthdefects.org






https://www.birthdefects.org/research/epa_letter.pdf
"We understand that the effects of exposures in the past, including exposures of Vietnam veterans are still of great concern. Your birth defect registry is the type of effort needed to make linkages between environmental exposures and birth defects."
READ THE LETTER: https://www.birthdefects.org/research/epa_letter.pdf

Misuse Of A Vietnam Era Tragedy

http://www.biofortified.org/2012/03/misuse-of-a-vietnam-era-tragedy/
Mark Twain once said, “A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” There was a perfect example of that last month. The Center for Food Safety (CFS) spread the term, “Agent Orange Corn” for Dow AgroSciences’ new biotech corn hybrids that are working their way through the regulatory process. These hybrids have been modified to be more resistant to 2,4-D, an herbicide that was introduced in 1948. This is being cast as a return to the use of Agent Orange and that is completely untrue. There is a lot of interesting detail behind this, but the CFS moniker for the corn is a classic case of information twisting – twisting in a way that is intentionally misleading. The reason that the term “Agent Orange Corn” is inaccurate can be discovered in a 1-minute Wikipedia search, but this did not prevent a host of of bloggers, environmental and Organic organizations, and even “news outlets” from uncritically passing along the disinformation.
READ MORE: http://www.biofortified.org/2012/03/misuse-of-a-vietnam-era-tragedy/

Project Agent Orange Poetry Blog poetry to empower Agent Orange victims

http://projectagentorange.com/wordpress/?p=674







Agent Orange Brought to You by Monsanto, Dow Chemical and Others
by mhbrownstein


A Poem by Debwood

Poetry as a photograph,
a rash, a step into chemicals
in the fields,
the crops,
the water we drink,
brought to you by
Monsanto,
Dow Chemical,
and the list goes on:

Caught in an ambush by Agent Orange

http://www.buffalonews.com/city/article749146.ece
Thirty-five years after the fact, Frank B. Brochowicz received a nasty reminder of his service in the Vietnam War. In late 2006, he lost 25 pounds and attributed it to a lack of appetite after a beloved family member had died.

But when the pounds kept falling off, he went to a doctor who directed him to a cancer specialist.

“The oncologist said my hemoglobin count was very low. It wasn’t transferring oxygen into my blood. I was told I’d been working on a half a tank of gas,” Brochowicz said.

Further testing determined he had multiple myeloma attributable to his exposure to Agent Orange, the carcinogenic defoliant used to clear dense jungle vegetation in Vietnam.

The bad news brought back his wartime experiences.
READ MORE & WATCH VIDEO: http://www.buffalonews.com/city/article749146.ece

EPA/NIEHS Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Centers (CEHCs)

http://www.epa.gov/ncer/childrenscenters/
Protecting Children’s Health for a Lifetime

For many reasons, children are likely to be more vulnerable than adults to the effects of environmental contaminants. To better understand the effects of these exposures on children's health, the EPA/NIEHS Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Centers ("Children's Centers") were established to explore ways to reduce children's health risks from environmental factors. The program is jointly funded by EPA through the Science to Achieve Results (STAR) grants program, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) with additional expertise and low-cost laboratory services provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

"I was proud to stand behind him and would do it again." Susie Belanger, wife of a US Navy Vietnam Veteran

from Susie Belanger, Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Association:

I would like to share an update on the progress of H.R.3612, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2011. Last week Representative Gibson's legislative liaison met with the committee members from DAMA, the Veterans Affairs subcommittee on Disability and Memorial Affairs. He reported that he had a positive meeting. They are working on offsets and expect a CBO score soon.

What is taking a little longer is the fact that all of the ships that served in the inland waterways of Vietnam are now considered on the "presumptive" list which will reduce the cost of the bill. As of today there are 214 ships on that list with more being added periodically.

Another cost saving measure, is the fact that every Navy veteran who served offshore Vietnam who has a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, including SLL or CLL is covered under an entirely different Statute, 38 CFR 3.313 .

I have attached a letter (unavailable on this blog) sent to Senator Gillibrand, who was a Congresswoman at the time, with the details of this law. These veterans are now removed from the cost of HR 3612 cutting the cost even further. We feel confident that because of these factors listed below, this bill will have a reasonable price tag.

The current language of HR 3612 per request of senators and congressmen last session has been drastically narrowed from that previous bill.
Sailors who served on the 214 plus ships that sailed on inland waterways will be subtracted from the total. They will be compensated under the "presumptive exposure" rules.
We anticipate a significant cost recovery from Medicare eligible veterans who will be transferred to the VA Health care system. Most veterans who will be covered by this bill are Medicare eligible or will be in the near future. The VA Health Care system will be cheaper than the Medicare system, in part because the fixed costs (salaries, buildings, equipment) are already allocated. This should result in a positive recoupment of Medicare dollars. Additionally, a number of veterans who met the cost threshold are covered under the non-service connected provisions of existing law. Coverage of these veterans under the proposed bill will result in a dollar for dollar set off against the funds allocated to cover non-service connected program.

Blue Water Navy Veterans who are diagnosed with NHL are being compensated under CFR 3.313.
We believe that the mortality rate of Blue Water Navy personnel is far higher than current statistics would suggest.

Here is a link to the list of ships the DVA has acknowledged to have served on the inland waters of Vietnam.http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/shiplist/list.asp

HR. 3612 has 58 cosponsors with strong bipartisan support. We invite you to look over this news and consider joining Representatives Carter and Thornberry in supporting an important bill that will clearly show that the 112th Congress can work together to do the right thing for our veterans.

As the wife of a US Navy Vietnam Veteran, married to him during the time he served, I can tell you that the wives sacrificed as well; I was proud to stand behind him and would do it again. We look forward to the time when all of our Vietnam Veterans are finally Welcomed Home restoring their dignity and faith in the country they so proudly served.

PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION 25,000 SIGNATURES NEEDED BY 3/31/12

Greetings!
We need your help!! Please take 5 minutes to sign this petition.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR SIGNING A WHITE HOUSE PETITION THE FIRST 150 SIGNATURES
1. Click on the link http://wh.gov/9Zs
2. Create an account with your email address
3. Check your email to verify and sign into your account using your email address, and password provided by Whitehouse.gov
4. Click on "sign this petition" and enter your zip code
5. Once you are done, please forward this information to all of your friends and family who will help this important cause!

Petition Details:
We petition the Obama Administration to:
Provide Environmental Justice for Community Exposed to Toxic Waste at Fort Detrick, Maryland
Demand the Department of Defense release to the Frederick, Maryland community and Frederick County health officials, documents withheld over the use and disposal of Agent Orange, TCE, PCE and the burial of biological and chemical warfare compounds in Fort Detrick's Area B.
Conduct a Senate Hearing and Congressional Inquiry.
Address long-awaited concerns of the public with cancer surrounding Fort Detrick from potential exposures.
We urge the President to take the advice of the President's Cancer Panel and the President's own promise during the State of the Union address and begin an immediate investigation of Fort Detrick.
For more key points and a letter to the President on this alarming issue, please see www.fightingforfrederick.org
a Project of the Kristen Renee Foundation.

Food Safety Official’s Ties to Monsanto Spur Petition Drive

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-29/food-safety-official-s-ties-to-monsanto-spur-petition-for-ouster.html
A top U.S. regulator’s ties to Monsanto Co. (MON), a maker of genetically modified food, are fueling an election-year recall push by consumer and public-interest groups flexing their clout on the Internet.

Michael Taylor, the Food and Drug Administration’s deputy commissioner for food safety, is at the center of a burgeoning dispute between opponents who have amassed more than 420,000 signatures on an online petition demanding he be fired and supporters who praise his efforts to curb foodborne illnesses.

At issue are the 16 months ending in 2000 that Taylor worked as St. Louis-based Monsanto’s vice president for public policy, between stints in the Clinton and Obama administrations. The petition reflects anger over the agency’s enforcement actions against small food producers and products such as raw milk and may prove embarrassing to a White House eager to distance itself from corporate interests, said Marion Nestle, a New York University professor.

Taylor is “a flashpoint for a lot of distrust about federal regulation,” said Nestle, a professor of nutrition at the Manhattan-based school. “The FDA is perceived as going after small farmers and leaving the larger ones alone. The White House doesn’t want the FDA making an issue that will cause trouble during an election year.”
READ MORE: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-29/food-safety-official-s-ties-to-monsanto-spur-petition-for-ouster.html