Blue Rats and M&Ms
08/12/2009
We all know that albino animals have pink eyes and skin. So why is this albino lab rat blue?
Medical researchers have discovered that the blue dye used in food products such as M&Ms, Jell-O and Gatorade can actually help heal spinal injuries. Injured rats regained the ability to walk after receiving an injection of the dye. The side effect, of course, is that the rodents themselves turned blue.
Apparently, Americans eat over 100 million lbs. of this blue dye every year. Luckily, it seems the dye has to be injected in order to turn skin blue.
Comments
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I think the blue rat looks kind of cool! It is really interesting that the blue dye helps spinal injuries. I wonder what it is about the dye that has an effect on the spinal injuries and are there any other side effects besides turning the skin blue?
Posted by: Lauren Boyle | 08/15/2009 at 11:24 PM
I invited candy collectors from all over to showcase their huge collections of M&Ms memorabilia. Check out the collections starring Red, Yellow, Blue and Green! http://www.collectorsquest.com/featured-week/M%26Ms.html
Posted by: jenn | 08/24/2009 at 12:18 PM
Wow that is one cool looking rat wow.
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Posted by: Veen Been | 01/11/2011 at 06:30 PM
It doesn't say anything about being beneficial if you just ingest the dye.
Posted by: ??? | 01/11/2011 at 06:34 PM
It doesn't say if the blue pigment fades over time or if its more permanent.
Posted by: moo | 01/11/2011 at 06:38 PM
Paralyzed or blue.... Blue it is...
Posted by: Roadie | 01/11/2011 at 06:45 PM
Wow that's some powerful stuff!
Posted by: Joe | 01/11/2011 at 07:04 PM
Poor rat - purposely injured, injected with a chemical they didn't know the effects, and then likely disposed of by decapitation.
Devoid of rights because of his species even though he can feel pain and emotions in the same way that we can.
I wonder when post-Darwin morality will come into force by law.
Posted by: Edward Sanchez | 01/11/2011 at 07:05 PM
I know it's needed but I feel so bad for the rats. My pet rat would have lived longer if it didn't develop a tumor. Rats are genetically disposed to cancers because of years of laboratory testing. :(
Posted by: Kat | 01/11/2011 at 07:05 PM
It makes your willy larger too
Posted by: Soapster | 01/11/2011 at 07:29 PM
Some people are always whining about testing on animals. How would you suggest testing new drugs or experiments? Quick to judge but offer no solutions.
Posted by: Kinsey6 | 01/11/2011 at 08:39 PM
thats right kinsey. without lab tests basically tortuing animals to death man would have never made it this far in his evolution
Posted by: urmama | 01/11/2011 at 09:17 PM
To the people complaining about "animal abuse" step right up for the research to create cures to the diseases that we have in this world. If it wasn't for these animals there wouldn't be cures for many ailments.
So either put up (your body) or shut up.
Posted by: kab0b | 01/11/2011 at 09:34 PM
use prisoners to experiment on instead, they're useless anyways and they probably deserve it
Posted by: a | 01/12/2011 at 12:53 AM
Sorry but those feet look painted on to me
Posted by: Smellarat | 01/12/2011 at 04:15 AM
Cue Eiffel 65 song. "I'm Blue"
Posted by: Dunkhang | 01/12/2011 at 10:35 AM
No wonder there are no paraplegic Smurfs!
Posted by: iPimp | 01/12/2011 at 11:44 AM
I stated I feel bad for the little critters. So stuff your attitude(s). No where did I say they shouldn't be doing this. I wish there was another way but there isn't.
Posted by: Kat | 01/12/2011 at 12:08 PM
They should isolate the ingredient in the blue dye that helps heal spinal injuries and design a pill that doesn't turn mice blue but keeps the same healing properties. I can't imagine that it would be incredibly difficult for a biochemist to do this.
Posted by: The Web Pro | 01/12/2011 at 12:16 PM
When I drink blue gatorade or powerade I poop blue.
Posted by: Blue Poop | 01/12/2011 at 12:53 PM
So does that mean that albino people will turn blue if they eat enough Jello?
Posted by: mDub | 01/12/2011 at 01:42 PM
Easy Solution for testing other than animals...
We can always test on rapists, child Molesters and the criminally insane... (kill two birds with one stone) it would be a wonderful crime deterrent as well as human towards animals who I prefer to most people anyway
Posted by: Dirka | 01/12/2011 at 05:37 PM
That rat is not albino. Albinos have no skin pigment, therefore their eyes are seen as pink, due to the visibility of the blood vessels. This rat has black eyes, unless they have also been dyed blue.
Posted by: Manji | 01/12/2011 at 06:01 PM
To all the people who are advocating testing on animals on the grounds that we have no alternative:
Just because you personally don't know of any alternatives doesn't make it right to do testing on animals. Do you really think it is right to test on unwilling subjects? There can never be ANY justification for testing on unwilling subjects. I don't care if we do get further cures for human problems and if we have no other alternative, that doesn't make it right. I would rather that the human race never make a single further medical advancement than that another animal be harmed like this. We're not talking about 'a life for a life' here - we're talking about torturing these poor animals.
If you'd like an alternative though, then here is one. You want to test on creatures without their consent. Then let's do the tests on you without your consent.
Posted by: Blake | 01/12/2011 at 09:13 PM
Blake, I want you to look my brother in the face and tell him that we should have let him die rather than test new medications on animals. we are talking about human lives vs. animals lives. We ARE talking about "a life for a life", and I'll save a humans life before any animals
Posted by: fred | 01/13/2011 at 01:15 AM