Bovine somatotropin (abbreviated bST and BST) is a protein hormone produced in the pituitary glands of cattle. It is also called bovine growth hormone, or BGH. | Latin = hypophysis, glandula pituitaria | GraySubject = 275 | GrayPage = 1275 | Image = Gray1180. ... For general information about the genus, including other species of cattle, see Bos. ...

BST can be produced synthetically, using recombinant DNA technology. The resulting product is called recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST), recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), or artificial growth hormone. It is administered to the cow by injection and used to increase milk production. Currently Monsanto is the only company that markets recombinant bovine somatotropin, under the trade name Posilac. Recombinant DNA (rDNA) is an artificial DNA sequence resulting from the combination of different DNA sequences. ... The Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) is a multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation. ...

Physiology

A cow's pituitary gland naturally secretes BST into the bloodstream. Some of it latches on to receptors in the liver, which then produce Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) which enters the blood as well. These two hormones have many different effects in the body, including increasing the breakdown of fat for energy and helping to prevent mammary cell death.^[1] The combination of increased energy from increased fat breakdown and decrease in mammary cell death is thought to be the cause of higher milk production.

Studies have shown that there is no increase in the amount of BST secreted in the milk when a cow is injected with supplemental rBST. However, the studies have been conflicting about whether or not IGF-1 and IGF-2 output increases. The amount of IGF-1 and IGF-2 secreted varies greatly by stage of lactation and whether or not an animal is pregnant; most studies have shown that while these hormones are slightly elevated overall it falls within the normal range of variation.^[2]

Posilac

In 1937, the administration of BST was shown to increase the milk yield in lactating cows by preventing mammary cell death in dairy cattle. Until the 1980s, there was very limited use of the compound in agriculture as the sole source of the hormone was from bovine cadavers. During this time, the knowledge of the structure and function of the hormone increased.^[3] Monsanto developed a recombinant version of BST, brand named Posilac, in 1994,^[4] which is produced through a genetically engineered E. coli. A gene that codes for the sequence of amino acids that makes up BST is inserted into the DNA of the E. coli bacterium. The bacteria are then broken up and separated from the rBST and is purified to produce the injectable hormone. Growth hormones associated with injections given to dairy cows to increase milk production are known under an assortment of terms, but these terms generally refer to the Monsanto product. The Monsanto fact sheet on its proprietary product states that when injected into dairy cattle, the product can increase milk production by an average of more than 10% over the span of 300 days.^[5] Kittens nursing Lactation describes the secretion of milk from the mammary glands, the process of providing that milk to the young, and the period of time that a mother lactates to feed her young. ... For other uses, see Cadaver (disambiguation). ... The Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) is a multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation. ... Recombinant DNA (rDNA) is an artificial DNA sequence resulting from the combination of different DNA sequences. ... For other uses, see Brand (disambiguation). ... Elements of genetic engineering cells, and the production of new types of experimental mice such as the oncomouse (cancer mouse) for research. ... E. coli redirects here. ... Proprietary indicates that a party, or proprietor, exercises private ownership, control or use over an item of property, usually to the exclusion of other parties. ...

Controversy

Use of rBST is regarded as controversial due to its effects on animal and human health and the encroachment on small farmers by large corporations.

Animal health

Two meta-analyses have been published on rBGH's effects on bovine health.^[6][7] Findings indicated an average increase in milk output ranging from 11%-16%, a nearly 25% increase in the risk of clinical mastitis, a 40% reduction in fertility and 55% increased risk of developing clinical signs of lameness. The same study reported a decrease in body condition score but speculated that it may have been attributable to, differences in feeding of treated (underfed) versus untreated (overfed) cows. A meta-analysis is a statistical practice of combining the results of a number of studies. ... Mastitis is the inflammation of the mammalian breast caused by the blocking of the milk ducts while the mother is lactating (see breastfeeding). ...

A European Union scientific commission was asked to report on the incidence of mastitis and other disorders in dairy cows and on other aspects of the welfare of dairy cows.^[8] The commission's statement, subsequently adopted by the European Union, stated that the use of rBST substantially increased health problems with cows, including foot problems, mastitis and injection site reactions, impinged on the welfare of the animals and caused reproductive disorders. The report concluded that on the basis of the health and welfare of the animals, rBST should not be used. Health Canada prohibited the sale of rBST in 1999; the recommendations of external committees were that despite not finding a significant health risk to humans, the drug presented a threat to animal health and for this reason could not be sold in Canada.^[9] sex Canada (French: Santé Canada) is the department of the government of Canada with responsibility for national public health. ...

Human health

Concern has been expressed by various groups about the levels of two substances in milk consumed by humans - BST itself, and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which is increased by rBST injections. Monsanto has stated that both of these compounds are harmless given the levels found in milk and the effects of pasteurization.^[10] Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is a polypeptide protein hormone similar in molecular structure to insulin. ... Pasteurization (or pasteurisation) is the process of heating liquids for the purpose of destroying viruses and harmful organisms such as bacteria, protozoa, molds, and yeasts. ...

IGF-1

Monsanto's studies show use of rBST in cows increases bovine insulin-like growth factor 1 in milk,^[11] a structure that is identical in cows and humans.^[12] Monsanto states that there is no danger of consuming milk or meat from cows treated by BST, and that the only difference between milk from supplemented cattle and unsupplemented cattle is the amount of IGF-1, though even these elevated levels are similar to levels found in milk from untreated cows. Further, the amount of IGF-1 consumed in milk is negligible compared to the amount produced in the body.^[10] Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is a polypeptide protein hormone similar in molecular structure to insulin. ...

Opponents counter that rBGH does cause differences aside from the higher rate of IGF-1, most importantly that BST and rBST have a different chain of amino acids which can alter how a protein interacts with the immune system.^[11] A Health Canada report on rBST found no "biologically plausible" safety concerns for humans about the sale of rBST in Canada barring immune hypersensitivity that may occur in some individuals.^[13] Studies have found links between serum levels of IGF-1 some medical conditions, including breast, prostate and colorectal cancer,^[14] a higher risk of diabetes and a shorter lifespan in animal studies,^[15] and has been linked to an increased number of twins born to humans.^[16] A scanning electron microscope image of a single neutrophil (yellow), engulfing anthrax bacteria (orange). ... Look up Serum in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Breast cancer is cancer of breast tissue. ... HRPC redirects here. ... Diagram of the stomach, colon, and rectum Colorectal cancer, also called colon cancer or bowel cancer, includes cancerous growths in the colon, rectum and appendix. ... For the disease characterized by excretion of large amounts of very dilute urine, see diabetes insipidus. ... For other uses, see Twin (disambiguation). ...

Lawsuit against Fox television

Fox television affiliate WTVT/Fox13 in Tampa, Florida was sued by Steve Wilson and Jane Akre, two former anchors over the issue of reporting the harmful effects of BGH on humans.^[17] The journalists--originally, with station approval--wrote a story in 1996 that stated the human health risks of rBGH. However, the station rejected it and insisted they report a different story on rBGH with statistics supplied by Monsanto. They rewrote the story over 80 times but were eventually fired by Fox. The Fox Broadcasting Company is a television network in the United States. ... WTVT is a television station in Tampa, Florida. ... Tampa redirects here. ... Steve Wilson on WXYZ-TV Steve Wilson is Chief Investigative Reporter for WXYZ-TV in Detroit, Michigan. ... Jane Akre and her husband Steve Wilson are former employees of Fox owned-and-operated station WTVT in Tampa, Florida. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ...

After a five-week trial which ended August 18, 2000, a Florida state court jury unanimously determined that Fox "acted intentionally and deliberately to falsify or distort the plaintiffs' news reporting on BGH." In that decision, the jury also found that Akre's threat to blow the whistle on Fox's misconduct to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was the sole reason for the termination and awarded $425,000 in damages.^[18] FCC redirects here. ...

Fox appealed and prevailed February 14, 2003, when an appeals court issued a ruling reversing the jury, accepting a defense argument that had been rejected by three other judges on at least six separate occasions. The appeals court's decision on the verdict was on the basis that FCC policies on news agencies reporting the truth did not legally require the station to report the truth in a news story, as FCC policies are not law. The story that was subsequently reported on BGH contained no statistics that may have indicated a human health risk, as these statistics (the ones found by Akre and Wilson and mentioned in their original story) were ignored.

In 2004, Fox filed a $1.7 million counter-suit against Akre and Wilson for trial fees and costs.^{[citation needed]}

This story is featured at length in The Corporation. The Corporation is a 2003 Canadian documentary film critical of the modern-day corporation, considering it as a class of person and evaluating its behaviour towards society and the world at large as a psychologist might evaluate an ordinary person. ...

Regulation

Use of the recombinant supplement has been controversial. While it is used in the United States (though not without reaction), it is banned in Canada, parts of the European Union, Australia and New Zealand.

Regulation inside the United States

In 1993, the product was approved for use in the U.S. by the FDA, and its use began in 1994. The product is now sold in 49 states, the exception being Michigan. According to Monsanto, approximately one third of dairy cattle in the U.S. are injected with Posilac; approximately 8,000 dairy producers use the product. It is now the top selling dairy cattle pharmaceutical product in the U.S.^[4] Several scientists involved in the review of Posilac were dismissed or pressured to leave the FDA expressing concerns over the process used to approve the drug for use in dairy cows and others expressed their concerns anonymously for fear of retribution.^[19] For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... “FDA” redirects here. ...

Enforcement

The FDA does not require special labels for products produced from cows given rbST but has charged several dairies with "misbranding" their milk as having no hormones, due to the fact that all milk contains hormones and can not be produced in such a way that it would not contain any hormones.^[20] Monsanto sued an independent dairy over their use of a label which pledged to not use artificial growth hormones.^[21] The dairy stated that their disagreement was not over the scientific evidence for the safety of Posilac (Monsanto's complaint about the label), but rather they were more interested in marketing milk than a drug. The suit was settled when the dairy agreed to add a qualifying statement to their previous label regarding the lack of difference between milk produced by Posilac-dosed cows and cows that had not received the drug.^[21]

Demand for milk without using synthetic hormones has increased 500% in the US since Monsanto introduced their rbST product; organic milk is the fastest growing sector of the organic food market.^[22]

Labeling in Pennsylvania

In 2007, the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, under heavy pressure from Monsanto, adopted a regulation that would have banned the practice of labeling milk as derived from cows not treated with rBST. This prohibition was to go into effect January 1, 2008, but was delayed to February 1, 2008 in order to give interested parties more time to submit comments to the state's Department of Agriculture. This policy, had it been implemented, would have made it impossible for consumers to distinguish between milk from cows treated with rBST and milk from cows not treated with rBST. For this reason, the ban was opposed by several consumer groups, and the state reversed its position before the ban could take effect and adopted the Federal Trade Commission's recommended labeling guidelines instead. ^[23] This article is about the U.S. State. ... | logo_caption = | seal = US-FederalTradeCommission-Seal. ...

Response from commercial groups

Several milk purchasers and resellers have elected not to purchase milk produced with rBGH. As of February 2007, Safeway in the northwestern United States stopped buying from dairy farmers that use rBGH. The two Safeway plants produce milk for all of Oregon, Southwest Washington, and parts of northern California. Safeway's plant in San Leandro, CA had already been rBGH-free for two years. Chipotle Mexican Grill has also announced it will serve rBGH-free sour cream at its restaurants.^[24] Kroger also announced its intent to sell only milk produced without synthetic hormones by February 2008,^[25] Publix announced it has been rBST-free since May, 2007,^[26] and Braum's has also issued a press release stating its milk is rBST-free.^[27] As of January 2008, the dairy in all Starbucks Company beverages is rBGH free.^[28] {{This article is about the US-based corporation|Safeway}} Safeway Inc. ... Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) is a Denver, Colorado-based chain of Fresh Mex restaurants specializing in San Francisco burritos and tacos. ... Sour cream is a dairy product rich in fats obtained by fermenting a regular cream by certain kinds of lactic acid bacteria. ... Kroger headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio. ... Publix Super Markets, Inc. ... Braums Ice Cream and Dairy Stores is a family-owned and operated chain of fast-food restaurants based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. ...

Monsanto has responded to this trend by lobbying state governments to ban the practice of distinguishing between milk from farms pledged not to use rBST and those that do. According to the New York Times [1], a pro-rBST advocacy group called Afact has been most active in these lobbying efforts. Afact is made up of both producer members and allied industries and is closely affiliated with Monsanto itself; the group's acronym stands for American Farmers for the Advancement and Conservation of Technology. Though rbST is one of Afact's main concerns, their mission is to prevent "marketers from convincing some consumers to doubt the credibility and safety assurances from of even the most respected food safety agencies and scientific oversight organizations."^[29] The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... The Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) is a multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation. ...

Thus far, a large-scale negative consumer response to Afact's legislative and regulatory efforts has kept state regulators from pushing through strictures that would ban hormone-free milk labels, though several politicians have tried, including Pennsylvania's (see the Pennsylvania section above) agriculture secretary Dick Wolff, who tried to ban rBST-free milk on the grounds that it would alleviate consumer confusion. Proposed labeling changes have been floated by Afact lobbyists in New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Kansas, Utah, Missouri and Vermont. So far, however, this effort has been unsuccessful. This article is about the U.S. State. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... For other uses, see Indiana (disambiguation). ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

Regulation outside the United States

In Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, rbST is not approved for use.^[30]

The European Union declared the use of rbST as safe in 1990, but in 1993, a moratorium was placed on its sale by all 27 member nations. This article is about the year. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ...

Canada's health board, Health Canada, refused to approve rBGH for use on Canadian dairies, citing concerns over animal health. The study they had commissioned, however, found "no biologically plausible reason for concern about human safety if rbST were to be approved for sale in Canada. The only exception to this statement is… [possible hypersensitivity]."^[31] sex Canada (French: Santé Canada) is the department of the government of Canada with responsibility for national public health. ...

See also

• Genetic engineering
• Growth hormone treatment
• Recombinant DNA
• List of recombinant proteins

Elements of genetic engineering cells, and the production of new types of experimental mice such as the oncomouse (cancer mouse) for research. ... Growth hormone (GH) is a protein hormone secreted by the pituitary gland which stimulates growth and cell reproduction. ... Recombinant DNA (rDNA) is an artificial DNA sequence resulting from the combination of different DNA sequences. ... Since human recombinants have replaced the animal version in human therapeutics, the prefix of rh for human recombinant appears less and less in the literature // Human growth hormone (rhGH) Humatrope® from Lilly; and Serostim® from Serono replaced cadaver harvested human growth hormone Human insulin (rhI) Humulin® from Lilly replaced bovine...

Footnotes

A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... This article is about the oldest and largest campus of the University of Minnesota. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) is a multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) is a multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... sex Canada (French: Santé Canada) is the department of the government of Canada with responsibility for national public health. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ... is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) is a multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Organic consumers wikipedia entry // Organic Consumers Association The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is an online and grassroots non-profit public interest organization campaigning for health, justice, and sustainability. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, (RCPSC) is a national, private, nonprofit organization established in 1929 by a special Act of Parliament to oversee the medical education of specialists in Canada. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... sex Canada (French: Santé Canada) is the department of the government of Canada with responsibility for national public health. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Council for Responsible Genetics (CRG) is a public interest group with a focus on biotechnology. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Science News is an American weekly magazine devoted to short articles about new scientific and technical developments, typically gleaned from recent scientific and technical journals. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Portland Press Herald is a daily newspaper, serving the area around Portland, Maine. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Economic Research Service (ERS) is the main source of economic information and research from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the PG, is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. // The paper began publication on July 29, 1786, with the encouragement of Hugh Henry Brackenridge as a four-page weekly, initially called The Gazette. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Kroger headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Publix Super Markets, Inc. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Braums Ice Cream and Dairy Stores is a family-owned and operated chain of fast-food restaurants based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Public Health on "Public Health Aspects of the Use of Bovine Somatotrophin"
• Labeling Issues, Revolving Doors, rBGH, Bribery and Monsanto