More than boric acid: Increasing relevance of boron in medicine

Investigation of Prophylactic and Therapeutic Effects of Boric Acid in an Experimental Mechanical Biliary Obstructive Cholestasis Rat Model

Obstructive jaundice is a serious condition that increases the risk of death from multiple organ failure and sepsis. The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic (T) and prophylactic (P) effects of boric acid (BA) in an experimental mechanical biliary obstructive (BO) cholestasis rat model. For this purpose, thirty-two adult male Wistar Albino rats were divided into four groups of eight animals in each group as control, BO, BO + BAP, and BO + BAT. BA was administered intraperitoneally at 100 mg/kg/day before and after bile duct ligation. In order to examine the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of BA as well as the oxidative stress and inflammation caused by BO, serum interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), total oxidant and antioxidant status (TOS, TAS), and cytochrome C levels were measured. Serum total bilirubin (T. Bil), direct bilirubin (D. Bil) levels and amylase, gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities were measured to investigate liver functions. Furthermore, the mRNA expression levels of the TNF-α, interleukin-6 (IL-6), caspase-3, and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) genes in liver tissue were examined to investigate the anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects of BA as well as the inflammation and apoptosis caused by BO. Hematoxylin-eosin and Masson's trichrome staining were performed for histopathological examinations. BO-induced liver damage, oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis were reduced by BA administration. The anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects of prophylactic BA application were found to be more effective than therapeutic BA application.

Evaluation of Possible Toxic Effects of Boric Acid in Palourde Clam (Ruditapes decussatus) Through Histological Changes and Oxidative Responses

The extensive utilization of boric acid, particularly in industrial and agricultural sectors, also engenders concerns regarding the toxicity of boron and its derivatives. Particularly, the behavior of boric acid at increasing concentrations in aquatic ecosystems remains poorly understood. In light of these concerns, this study aimed to investigate the toxicity of boric acid in bivalves, which occupy a critical position in the food chain. Specimens of Ruditapes decussatus, which had not been previously exposed to any pollutants and were cultivated under controlled conditions, were subjected to three different concentrations of boric acid (0.05 mg/L, 0.5 mg/L, and 5 mg/L) in vitro for 96 h. Following the exposure period, the specimens were assessed for histological changes (the mantle, gill, and digestive gland) and specific oxidative parameters (the gill and digestive gland), including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione-S-transferase, and lipid peroxidation (LPO). The research findings indicated that boric acid primarily induced oxidative damage at the applied concentrations and increased antioxidant levels (p < 0.05). Moreover, although no significant histopathological abnormalities were observed in the examined histological sections, subtle changes were noted. This study evaluated the potential adverse effects of boric acid on bivalves, which are crucial components of the aquatic food chain, utilizing histological and specific physiological parameters following its introduction into aquatic environments. It is anticipated that the findings of this study will contribute to the development of new insights and perspectives regarding the extensive use of boric acid.

Construction of coral-like architectures of boron-containing compounds: coral-like boric acid and its application performances

Coral-like structures have been widely investigated for practical applications owing to their special porous architectures and surface activity. Here we report a simple strategy for the preparation of coral-like architectures of boric acid.

Diversity of effects induced by boron-containing compounds on immune response cells and on antibodies in basal state

BACKGROUND

It has been reported that boron induces changes in the immune response, including in inflammatory processes. Recently, the effect of boric acid has been documented on the differentiation of lymphocyte clusters in mice and rats. However, the differences among boron-containing compounds (BCC) have been poorly explored.

METHODS

In this study, we analyzed the effects after oral administration of boric acid (BOR), methylboronic (MET), 3-thyenylboronic (3TB), 4-hydroxymethyl-phenylboronic (4MP) and 4-methanesulfonyl-phenylboronic (4SP) acids on the populations of lymphocytes from spleen and Peyer's patch (PP) as well as on antibodies. Groups of six male BALB/c were orally treated with 4.6 mg/kg of body weight with BOR, MET, 3TB, 4MP, and 4SP/daily for 10 days or vehicle (VEH) as a control group. After euthanasia, the spleen and small intestine were dissected. We conducted flow cytometry assays to assess B, CD3+ T, CD4+ T, and CD8+ T cells. Levels of IgG and IgM in serum, and IgA in intestinal fluid samples were analyzed by enzyme immunoassay.

RESULTS

In particular, we observed the effects of the administration of boronic acids on the number of lymphocytes; these changes were more notable in spleen than in PP. We found different profiles for each boron-containing compound, that is BOR induced an increase in the percentage of CD8+ T and CD19+/IgA+ cells in spleen, but a decrease in CD8+ T and B220+/CD19+ cells in PP. Meanwhile MET induced a decrease of CD4+ T in spleen, but induced an increase of CD4+ T cells and a decrease in the number of CD8+ T cells in PP. Boronic acids with an aromatic ring moiety induced changes in serum immunoglobulins levels, while 3TB acid induced a notable increase in S-IgA.

CONCLUSIONS

Effects in lymphocyte populations and antibodies are different for each tested compound. These results highlight the establishment of the necessary structure-activity relationship for BCC as immunomodulatory drugs. This is relevant in the biomedical field due to their attractiveness for selecting compounds to develop therapeutic tools.

Effects of boron-containing compounds in the fungal kingdom

BACKGROUND

The number of known boron-containing compounds (BCCs) is increasing due to their identification in nature and innovative synthesis procedures. Their effects on the fungal kingdom are interesting, and some of their mechanisms of action have recently been elucidated.

METHODS

In this review, scientific reports from relevant chemistry and biomedical databases were collected and analyzed.

RESULTS

It is notable that several BCC actions in fungi induce social and economic benefits for humans. In fact, boric acid was traditionally used for multiple purposes, but some novel synthetic BCCs are effective antifungal agents, particularly in their action against pathogen species, and some were recently approved for use in humans. Moreover, most reports testing BCCs in fungal species suggest a limiting effect of these compounds on some vital reactions.

CONCLUSIONS

New BCCs have been synthesized and tested for innovative technological and biomedical emerging applications, and new interest is developing for discovering new strategic compounds that can act as environmental or wood protectors, as well as antimycotic agents that let us improve food acquisition and control some human infections.