Effect of intra-abdominal boric acid in the experimental adhesion model.

BACKGROUND: The continuous advancement in medical and surgical techniques has led to a rise in the frequency of abdominal operations, subsequently increasing the incidence of intra-abdominal adhesions. Over 90% of laparotomies result in postoperative intra-abdominal adhesions. This study investigates the effect of a 5% boric acid solution on the development of intra-abdominal adhesions in rats, using an adhesion model. METHODS: This study was conducted with two groups: a control group, in which the adhesion model was applied without any treatment, and a boric acid group, which was treated with a 5% boric acid solution. Each group comprised 16 rats. On the 14th postoperative day, the rats were sacrificed, re-explored, and the developed adhesions were evaluated both macroscopically and microscopically. The data from macroscopic and microscopic scoring were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test in the IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Statistics 24 program. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. This research was supported by the Manisa Celal Bayar University Scientific Research Projects Commission. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was observed between the boric acid-treated group and the control group, with the boric acid group showing a significant decrease in adhesion development both macroscopically and microscopically (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: In the future, boron could play a significant role in reducing and preventing intra-abdominal adhesions after surgery. This investigation could pave the way for further research into the mechanism by which boric acid prevents the development of intra-abdominal adhesions. Moreover, it is imperative to explore the potential side effects of intra-abdominal boron application at the optimum concentration of the solution.

Boric acid and Molybdenum trioxide synergistically stimulate osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells.

INTRODUCTION: Metals and their metal ions have been shown to exhibit certain biological functions that make them attractive for use in biomaterials, for example in bone tissue engineering (BTE) applications. Recent data shows that Molybdenum (Mo) is a potent inducer of osteogenic differentiation in human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs). On the other hand, while boron (B) has been shown to enhance vascularization in BTE applications, its impact on osteogenic differentiation is volatile: while improved osteogenic differentiation has been described, other data show that B might slow down osteogenic differentiation or reduce the calcification of the extracellular matrix (ECM) when applied in higher doses. Still, the combination of pro-osteogenic Mo and pro-angiogenic B is certainly attractive in the context of biomaterials intended for the use in BTE. METHODS: Therefore, the combined effect of molybdenum trioxide and boric acid at different ratios was investigated in this study to evaluate the effects on the viability, proliferation, osteogenic differentiation, ECM production and maturation of BMSCs. RESULTS: Mo ions proved to be stronger osteoinductive compared to B, in fact, while some osteogenic differentiation markers were downregulated in the presence of B, the presence of Mo provided compensation. The combined application of B and Mo indicated a combination of individual effects, partially even enhancing the expected combined performance of the single stimulations. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of B and Mo might be beneficial for BTE applications since the limited osteogenic properties of B can be compensated by Mo. Furthermore, since B is known to be pro-angiogenic, the combination of both substances may synergistically lead to improved vascularization and bone regeneration. Future studies should assess the angiogenic performance of this combination in greater detail.

High-density polyethylene (HDPE)-incorporated boron carbide and boric acid nanoparticles as a nanoshield of photoneutrons from medical linear accelerators.

PURPOSE: The current study aimed to investigate boron carbide and boric acid nanoparticles (NPs) as absorbents for thermal neutrons and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) as a substrate and neutron moderator for fast neutrons. The goal was to assess the performance of boron carbide and boric acid NPs based on HDPE as a nanoshield of photoneutrons from medical linear accelerators. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted in two parts of simulation and practice. The Monte Carlo (MC) simulation involved modeling and verification of the single-layer, double-layer, and combined nanoshields by selecting nanomaterials and substrates and, finally, calculating the macroscopic cross-sections. The practical part involved manufacturing nanoshields based on the simulation results and evaluating the manufactured nanocomposites via experimental measurements. RESULTS: MC simulation results with an uncertainty of less than 1% showed that for the monolayer samples, the best result belonged to boron carbide at a concentration of 10% and a macroscopic cross-section of 0.933 cm-1. At a concentration of 20%, the highest value among the double-layer samples was 0.936 cm-1 and for the combined samples, this value was 0.928 cm-1. Boron carbide single-layer nanocomposites at a 10% concentration, as well as the bilayer nanoshield of 10% boron carbide and 20% boric acid performed well; however, the best performance belonged to the nanoshield with a macroscopic cross-section of 0.960 and the combination containing 5% boron carbide and 10% boric acid. CONCLUSIONS: The research suggests that utilizing boron carbide and boric acid nanoshields in combination with HDPE holds promise as a viable approach to protecting from the photoneutrons. Further exploration of these nanocomposite shields and their practical applications is warranted, with the potential to yield significant advancements in radiation therapy safety and efficacy.

Tuning glycerol plasticization of chitosan with boric acid.

Chitosan-based bioplastics are attractive biodegradable alternatives to petroleum-derived plastics. However, optimizing the properties of chitosan materials to fit a particular application or obtain a desired property is not a trivial feat. Here, we report the tunability of glycerol-plasticized chitosan films with the addition of boric acid. In combination, glycerol and boric acid form neutral complexes that alter the hydrogen-bonding face of the plasticizer and ultimately limit glycerol's ability to plasticize chitosan. Thus, we found that chitosan films containing glycerol-boric acid complexes were less flexible, had increased thermal transition temperatures, and showed more uniform morphologies. Structural, thermal, mechanical and morphological characterization was performed using ATR-FTIR, TGA and DSC, DMA, and SEM respectively. Molecular-level interactions of the neutral boron complexes and D-glucosamine, the repeat unit of chitosan, were also investigated used NMR and ATR-FTIR. The results of this work demonstrate the necessity of specific hydrogen-bonding interactions between the plasticizer and the polymer for effective plasticization, an important insight into the plasticization mechanism of chitosan films. Furthermore, the formation of complexes with glycerol is a novel and convenient method for tuning the physical properties of chitosan films.

Preparing for laboratory automation and consolidation-Establishing the validity of pediatric-like low-volume urine samples in boric-acid containing tubes.

Microbiological services consolidation has increased the usage of preservative-containing urine tubes, potentially inhibiting pathogens in low-volume pediatric urine samples, yielding false-negative results. Our study demonstrates comparable growth with 1 ml versus the recommended 3 ml urine, following different shipping intervals. We advocate for regulators to consider similar large-scale validations, ensuring results' consistency.

Effect of Boric Acid on Metabolic Peptides and Some Biochemical Parameters in Experimental Diabetic Rats.

Boron (B) is an element that has recently been wondered and researched in many fields, especially due to its effects on energy metabolism. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of boric acid (BA) on newly discovered energy metabolism peptides that have not been studied before. In this study, the effects of 15 mg/kg of BA were evaluated in 24 Wistar rats. Groups were named as control group, 15 mg/kg BA group, streptozotocin (STZ)-induced experimental diabetic group, and STZ-induced experimental diabetic + 15 mg/kg BA administered group (STZ+15 mg/kg BA). Serum asprosin, nesfatin-1, preptin, insulin, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and glucose analyses were performed. In this study, the increase in glucose, TG, TC, LDL-C levels, and AST, ALT activities in STZ-induced groups were reduced with BA administration. While HDL-C level significantly decreased in the STZ group, the level approached the control group values after BA administration (p<0.001). As for peptides, although there was a statistically significant increase after 15 mg/kg BA administration, these levels did not approach the control group values (p<0.001). According to the findings, STZ-induced diabetes mellitus and the biochemical processes that develop accordingly change correlatively. This study showed that BA is effective in energy metabolism.

Potential Toxicity of Boric Acid Powder Otic Insufflation.

OBJECTIVE: Boric acid (BA) powder is commonly used to treat otologic conditions, such as mastoid bowl inflammation and chronic otitis externa. Exposure to 50 mg per day is thought to cause systemic toxicity in humans. Inflamed skin and mucosal surfaces readily absorb BA. The aim of this study was to measure the doses of BA commonly used in clinical otology and alert the otolaryngology community to BA's underappreciated potential source of systemic toxicity. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, controlled. SETTING: Laboratory. METHODS: BA dose administration was measured by weighing the BA generated by common insufflators: accordion bellows, House-Sheehy insufflator, DeVilbiss insufflator, and pneumatic powder blower. Manual insufflation was performed with 3 compressions of the bulb. The pneumatic blower was sprayed for 1 second. Measurements were repeated 10 times. RESULTS: The DeVilbiss insufflator delivered the lowest mean BA dose, 6.1 mg (SD 3.4, range 2.1-13.7), followed by the House-Sheehy 8.9 mg (SD 8.4, range 1.6-27.8), the pneumatic blower 192.8 mg (SD 38.3, range 150.0-261.7), and the accordion, 284.1 mg (SD 215.0, range 37.8-730.8). CONCLUSION: BA dose delivery is highly variable by insufflator type, and doses thought to cause systemic toxicity are commonly generated. Awareness of and further investigation into the potential toxicity of otic administration of BA seems warranted.

Osteogenic Differentiation Capacity of Dental Pulp Stem Cells on 3D Printed Polyurethane/Boric Acid Scaffold.

Additive manufacturing is growing in the area of dentistry and orthopedics due to the potential for the fabrication of individual implants. In this study, fused deposition modeling which is the most popular method was used to produce 3D scaffolds having a grid pattern from the polyurethane (PU) filament. Then, this scaffold was coated with boric acid (BA) with the thermionic vacuum arc technique. The microstructure analysis showed the macro-pores having a dimension of ~ 0.16 mm2. The BA coating increased the roughness in adverse decreased the wettability. The presence of BA on the scaffold before and after cell culture was confirmed by FESEM-EDS and ATR-FTIR. The Cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation capacity of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) on uncoated and coated printed 3D PU scaffolds were also investigated. On the third day, cell viability was found to be higher (1.3-fold) in the groups containing BA. However, on the seventh day, the increase in cell proliferation in the PU+BA group was found to be less than in the other groups. According to Ca deposition analysis and Alizarin Red staining, PU+BA increased the calcium accumulation in the cells in both osteogenic induced and non-induced conditions at day 14. According to gene expression analysis, the Runx2 expression was not detected in PU+BA groups with and without differentiation medium (p ≤0.05). The expression of OCN was persistently increased up to 21-fold and 48-fold in cells on PU and PU+BA in osteogenic differentiation medium group after 14 days compared to control group (p ≤0.05). DSPP expression was observed only in PU+BA in osteogenic differentiation medium group. In line with the results that we have obtained, our 3D printed scaffolds have properties to trigger the differentiation of DPSCs cells in terms of osteogenicity.

Ex vivo investigation of betaine and boric acid function as preprotective agents on rat synaptosomes to be treated with Aß (1-42).

Recent evidence suggests that ferroptosis, an iron-dependent cell death process, may be involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. The study evaluated the therapeutic potential of betaine and boric acid (BA) pretreatment administered to rats for 21 days in AD. Then, the rats were sacrificed, and morphological and biochemical analyses were performed in brain tissues. Next, an ex vivo AD model was created by applying amyloid-ß (Aß1-42) to synaptosomes isolated from the brain tissues. Synaptosomes were analyzed with micrograph images, and protein and mRNA levels of ferroptotic markers were determined. Betaine and BA pretreatments did not cause any morphological and biochemical differences in the brain tissue. However, Aß (1-42) administration in synaptosomes increased the levels of acyl-CoA synthetase long chain family member-4 (ACSL4), transferrin receptor-1 protein (TfR1), malondialdehyde (MDA), and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and decreased the levels glutathione peroxidase-4 (GPx4) and glutathione (GSH). Moreover, ACSL4, GPx4, and TfR1 mRNA and protein levels were similar to the ELISA results. In contrast, betaine and BA pretreatments decreased the levels of ACSL4, TfR1, MDA, and 8-OHdG in synaptosomes incubated with Aß1-42, while promoting increased levels of GPx4 and GSH. In addition, betaine and BA pretreatments completely reversed ACSL4, GPx4, and TfR1 mRNA and protein levels. Therefore, betaine and BA pretreatments may contribute to the prevention of neurodegenerative damage by supporting antiferroptotic activities.

The effect of attractive toxic sugar bait on the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in community farms in Northern Taiwan.

Attractive toxic sugar baits (ATSBs) lure mosquitoes to feed on the baits and subsequently killed them. We investigated the effects of a boric acid-containing ATSB on the population of Aedes albopictus at 48 h exposure and assessed the field effectiveness on this ATSB on two types of community farms in New Taipei City, Taiwan, including isolated ATSB farms and nonisolated ATSB farms. The result showed that mosquitoes exposed to the ATSB solution for 48 h were killed within 7 d under laboratory conditions. Exposure of female and male mosquitoes to ATSB resulted in mean survival times ranging from 52 to 62 h and 30 to 48 h, respectively. For field efficacy test, on isolated ATSB farms, a significant reduction of ovitrap density index (ODI) up to 24 % was noted after the replacement frequency was increased to every 2 weeks. However, the intervention efficacy on nonisolated ATSB farms had mixed results. The ODI significantly reduced by 21.4 % and 6.9 % on the nonisolated ATSB Chongmin and Nanjing farms, respectively, when bait replacement was done every 2 weeks instead of every 3 weeks. By contrast, the ODI on the nonisolated ATSB Yongchang farms increased significantly, irrespectively of the bait replacement frequency. Nevertheless, the total number of eggs trapped on all ATSB farms exhibited a concave curve pattern; while the mosquito population on non-ATSB control farms continued to increase over time. In conclusion, deploying simple ATSB stations containing boric acid is a practical approach for integrated vector management programs.

Investigation of the efficacy of epidermal growth factor, boric acid and their combination in cartilage injury in rats: An experimental study.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we aimed to determine the bioefficacy of epidermal growth factor (EGF), boric acid (BA), and their combination on cartilage injury in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In in vitro setting, the cytotoxic effects of BA, EGF, and their combinations using mouse fibroblast cell (L929), human bone osteosarcoma cell (Saos-2), and human adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells (hAD-MSCs) were determined by applying MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide] test. In in vivo setting, 72 rats were randomly divided into four groups. A standard chondral defect was created and microfracture was performed in all groups. Group A was determined as the control group. In addition to the standard procedure, Group B received 100 ng/mL of EGF, Group C received a combination of 100 ng/mL of EGF and 10 µg/mL of BA combination, and Group D 20 µg/mL of BA. RESULTS: The cytotoxic effect of the combinations of EGF dilutions (1, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200 ng/mL) with BA (100, 300, 500 µg/mL) was observed only in the 72-h application period and in Saos-2. The cytotoxic effect of BA was reduced when combined with EGF. There was no significant difference in the histopathological scores among the groups (p=0.13). CONCLUSION: Our study showed that EGF and low-dose BA application had a positive effect on cartilage healing in rats. Significant decreases in recovery scores were observed in the other groups. The combination of EGF and BA promoted osteoblast growth. Detection of lytic lesions in the group treated with 20 µg/mL of BA indicates that BA may have a cytotoxic effect.

A workflow for the detection of antibiotic residues, measurement of water chemistry and preservation of hospital sink drain samples for metagenomic sequencing.

BACKGROUND: Hospital sinks are environmental reservoirs that harbour healthcare-associated (HCA) pathogens. Selective pressures in sink environments, such as antibiotic residues, nutrient waste and hardness ions, may promote antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) exchange between bacteria. However, cheap and accurate sampling methods to characterize these factors are lacking. AIMS: To validate a workflow to detect antibiotic residues and evaluate water chemistry using dipsticks. Secondarily, to validate boric acid to preserve the taxonomic and ARG ('resistome') composition of sink trap samples for metagenomic sequencing. METHODS: Antibiotic residue dipsticks were validated against serial dilutions of ampicillin, doxycycline, sulfamethoxazole and ciprofloxacin, and water chemistry dipsticks against serial dilutions of chemical calibration standards. Sink trap aspirates were used for a 'real-world' pilot evaluation of dipsticks. To assess boric acid as a preservative of microbial diversity, the impact of incubation with and without boric acid at ∼22 °C on metagenomic sequencing outputs was evaluated at Day 2 and Day 5 compared with baseline (Day 0). FINDINGS: The limits of detection for each antibiotic were: 3 µg/L (ampicillin), 10 µg/L (doxycycline), 20 µg/L (sulfamethoxazole) and 8 µg/L (ciprofloxacin). The best performing water chemistry dipstick correctly characterized 34/40 (85%) standards in a concentration-dependent manner. One trap sample tested positive for the presence of tetracyclines and sulphonamides. Taxonomic and resistome composition were largely maintained after storage with boric acid at ∼22 °C for up to five days. CONCLUSIONS: Dipsticks can be used to detect antibiotic residues and characterize water chemistry in sink trap samples. Boric acid was an effective preservative of trap sample composition, representing a low-cost alternative to cold-chain transport.

Adenosine triphosphate overrides the aversive effect of antifeedants and toxicants: a model alternative phagostimulant for sugar-based vector control tools.

BACKGROUND: Sugar, when used as the phagostimulant in attractive toxic bait control tools, limits the efficacy and selectivity of this technology. Thus, more potent and selective phagostimulants than sugar are required to improve this technology. The potency of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) as an alternative model phagostimulant was assessed to determine its capacity to override the aversive effects of select antifeedants and toxicants. How ATP and sucrose modulate the rate of toxicity in the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti was also examined. METHODS: A no-choice feeding assay was used to investigate the phagostimulatory ability of ATP to override the aversive effects of structurally divergent antifeedant and toxicant compounds, and to modulate the rate of toxicity over 24 h. Binary combinations of antifeedant and toxicant compounds, at various concentrations, were similarly assessed for enhanced lethal potency. In comparison, no-choice open access and cotton wick feeding assays were used to determine the phagostimulatory role of sucrose in the ingestion of boric acid-laced diets. Dissections of the guts were performed to determine the diet destination as dependant on the phagostimulant. RESULTS: ATP is a potent phagostimulant that dose dependently overrides aversion to antifeedant and toxicant tastants. Feeding on antifeedant- or toxicant-laced diets that was induced by ATP selectively resulted in rapid knockdown (nicotine, lobeline and caffeine) or death (boric acid and propylene glycol), with a combination of the two lethal compounds inducing a synergistic effect at lower concentrations. ATP- and sucrose-induced feeding predominantly directed the antifeedant- or toxicant-laced meals to the midgut and the crop, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: ATP is an efficacious alternative model phagostimulant to sucrose that overrides the aversive effects of antifeedants and toxicants, resulting in rapid toxic effects. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that variation in the rate of toxicity between ATP- and sugar-induced feeding is at least partly regulated by the differential feeding response, volume imbibed and the destination of the meals. Additional research is needed to identify structurally related, stable analogues of ATP due to the ephemeral nature of this molecule. For future applications, the workflow presented in this study may be used to evaluate such analogues for their suitability for use in attractive bait stations designed to target a broad range of haematophagous arthropods and prevent off-target species' feeding.

Success in treating wounds with local boric acid: a case study.

Wounds are difficult to treat in patients with diabetes, affecting their quality of life (QoL) and requiring a multidisciplinary approach to their treatment. In addition to systemic treatments such as intravenous antibiotics and debridement, local therapies used in appropriate cases help prevent situations that may result in the need for amputation. Boric acid, an easily accessible agent in local wound care, was considered for use in wounds because of its bactericidal and fungicidal properties, as well as its positive effects on angiogenesis, collagen synthesis and re-epithelialisation. While there are data on the use of boric acid solution in the treatment of hard-to-heal wounds in the literature, its use in wounds is limited. Moreover, although 2-3% boric acid solutions have been used in previous studies, boric acid powder (BAP) was used in this present case study. In this article, BAP was used in the treatment of two patients with diabetic wounds. The application of BAP effectively cleared the necrosis and accelerated wound healing. Boric acid is easily accessible, easy to use and an effective agent that should be considered because of its beneficial effects on wounds patients when used in addition to systemic therapy.

Hierarchical Mesoporous Metal-Organic Frameworks with Boric Acid Sites on the Inner Surface of Small Mesopores for the Extraction of Nucleotides in Human Plasma Samples.

In this work, a boronate affinity-functionalized hierarchical mesoporous metal-organic framework adsorbent with boronate sites only in the small mesopore has been structured based on UiO-66@Fe3O4. The introduction of large mesopores in the adsorbent can promote the diffusion of small cis-diol-containing compounds (cis-diols) into small mesopore channels, and the removal of the adsorption sites on the external surface of materials and in large mesopores can enhance the size-exclusion effect of the adsorbent. In addition, the adsorbent has faster adsorption kinetics and excellent selectivity to small cis-diols. Finally, a magnetic dispersive solid-phase extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography was established for the enrichment and detection of nucleotides in plasma. Four nucleotides achieve the recoveries from 93.25 to 118.79%, the limits of detection from 0.35 to 1.26 ng·mL-1, and the intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviations of less than 10.2%. In conclusion, this method can be directly used for the detection of small cis-diol targets in complex biological samples without protein precipitation prior to the extraction.

Therapeutic Efficacy of Boric Acid Treatment on Brain Tissue and Cognitive Functions in Rats with Experimental Alzheimer's Disease.

Introduction: Oxidative stress has an important role in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common type of dementia. Boric acid (BA) contributes significantly to the protection of the brain by reducing lipid peroxidation and supporting antioxidant defense. We aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of BA treatment in AD rats. Materials and Methods: Four groups were formed as Control (C), Alzheimer's (A), Alzheimer's + Boric acid (ABA), Boric acid (BA). Intracerebroventricular injection of Streptozotocin (STZ) was preferred to create an AD. After 4 weeks, BA was applied 3 times every other day. The Radial Arm Maze Test (RAMT) was used to evaluate memory and learning abilities. Biochemical and histopathological evaluations were made in the hippocampus. Results: Initial RAMT inlet/outlet (I/O) numbers were similar. Two weeks after STZ injection, I/O numbers decreased in group A and ABA compared to group C and BA (p<0.05). After the second BA application, I/O numbers increased in the ABA group compared to the A group (p<0.05). In group A, PON-1, TOS and OSI levels were higher and TAS levels were lower than in groups BA and C. After BA treatment, PON-1 and OSI levels were lower in the ABA group than in the A group (p<0.05). Although there was an increase in TAS value and a decrease in TOS, this did not make a statistical difference. The thickness of the pyramidal cell in CA1 and the granular cell layers in the dentate gyrus, and the number of intact and degenerated neurons in the pyramidal cell layer were similar between the groups. Discussion: Significant improvement in learning and memory abilities after BA application is promising for AD. Conclusion: These results show that BA application positively affects learning and memory abilities, and reduces oxidative stress. More extensive studies are required to evaluate histopathological efficacy.

Nonylphenol Exposure-Induced Oocyte Quality Deterioration Could be Reversed by Boric Acid Supplementation in Rats.

In this study, we reported boric acid's protective effects on the quality of nonylphenol (NP)-exposed oocytes. Female rats were classified into 4 groups: control, boric acid, NP, and NP+boric acid. Histopathological studies and immunohistochemical analysis of anti-müllerian hormone (AMH), mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), Sirtuin1 (SIRT1), stem cell factor (SCF) studies were done. The comet assay technique was utilized for DNA damage. The ELISA method was used to determine the concentrations of oxidative stress indicators (SOD, CAT, and MDA), ovarian hormone (INH-B), and inflammation indicators (IL-6 and TNF-α). Boric acid significantly reduced the histopathological alterations and nearly preserved the ovarian reserve. With the restoration of AMH and SCF, boric acid significantly improved the ovarian injury. It downregulated SIRT1 and upregulated the mTOR signaling pathway. It provided DNA damage protection. Ovarian SOD, CAT levels were decreased by boric acid. Boric acid co-administration significantly reduced NP's MDA, IL-6, and TNF-activities. This results imply that boric acid has a protective role in ovarian tissue against NP-mediated infertility.

Ultrasensitive Detection of Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria Based on Boric Acid-Functionalized Fluorescent MOF@COF.

The widespread use of antibiotics has made multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDRB) one of the greatest threats toward global health. Current conventional microbial detection methods are usually time-consuming, labor-intensive, expensive, and unable to detect low concentrations of bacteria, which cause great difficulties in clinical diagnosis and treatment. Herein, we constructed a versatile biosensing platform on the basis of boric acid-functionalized porous framework composites (MOF@COF-BA), which were able to realize highly efficient and sensitive label-free MDRB detection via fluorescence. In this design, MDRB were captured using aptamer-coated nanoparticles and the fluorescent probe MOF@COF-BA was tightly anchored onto the surface of MDRB due to interactions between boric acid groups and glycolipids on bacteria cells. Benefitting from the remarkable fluorescence performance of MOF@COF-BA, rapid and specific detection of MDRB, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Acinetobacter baumannii (AB), was realized with a detection range of 20-108 CFU/mL (for both) and limits of detection of 7 CFU/mL (MRSA) and 5 CFU/mL (AB). The feasibility of using the developed platform to selectively detect MRSA and AB from complex urine, human serum, and cerebrospinal fluid samples was also demonstrated. This work provides a promising strategy for accurate MDRB diagnosis, avoiding serious infection using rational antibiotic therapy.

Simultaneous remediation of co-contaminated soil by ball-milled zero-valent iron coupled with persulfate oxidation.

The problem of co-contaminated soil at e-waste dismantling sites is serious and constitutes a critical threat to human health and the ecological environment. Zero-valent iron (ZVI) has been proven to be effective in the stabilization of heavy metals and the removal of halogenated organic compounds (HOCs) from soils. However, for the remediation of co-contamination of heavy metals with HOCs, ZVI has disadvantages such as high remediation cost and inability to take into account both pollutants, which limits its large-scale application. In this paper, boric acid and commercial zero-valent iron (cZVI) were used as raw materials to prepare boric acid-modified zero-valent iron (B-ZVIbm) through a high-energy ball milling strategy. B-ZVIbm coupled with persulfate (PS) to achieve simultaneous remediation of co-contaminated soil. The synergistic treatment of PS and B-ZVIbm resulted in the removal efficiency of 81.3% for decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE209) and the stabilization efficiencies of 96.5%, 99.8%, and 28.8% for Cu, Pb, and Cd respectively in the co-contaminated soil. A series of physical and chemical characterization methods showed that the oxide coat on the surface of B-ZVIbm could be replaced by borides during ball milling. The boride coat facilitated the exposure of the Fe0 core, promoted the corrosion of ZVI and the orderly release of Fe2+. The analysis of the morphological transformation of heavy metals in soils revealed that most of the heavy metals in the exchangeable, carbonate-bound state were transformed into the residue state, which was the key mechanism for the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils with B-ZVIbm. The analysis of BDE209 degradation products showed that BDE209 was degraded to lower brominated products and further mineralized by ZVI reduction and free radical oxidation. In general, B-ZVIbm coupled with PS is a good recipe for synergistic remediation of co-contaminated soils with heavy metals and HOCs.

Investigation of the protective effect of boric acid against hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic injury induced by acrylamide in rats / Investigación del efecto protector del ácido bórico contra lesiones hepatotóxicas y nefrotóxicas inducidas por acrilamida en ratas

SUMMARY: To investigate if the administration of boric acid (BA) would exert any protective effect against possible nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity induced by the exposure to acrylamide (ACR) in rats. In our study, we used a total of 28 rats that were divided into four equal groups. Group 1: the control group which was not treated with any procedure. Group 2: the ACR group that was administered ACR 50 mg/kg/day via intraperitoneal (i.p) route for 14 days. Group 3: the BA group that was administered BA 200 mg/kg/ day via gavage via peroral (p.o) route for 14 days. Group 4: the ACR+BA group that was administered BA simultaneously with ACR. Total antioxidant and oxidant (TAS/TOS) capacities were measured in all groups at the end of the experiment. In addition, the specimens obtained were evaluated with histopathological examination. Studies showed that the ACR and ACr+BA groups were not significantly different in terms of hepatic TAS level while the TOS level was higher in the ACR group than the ACR+BA group. The groups did not show any significant difference regarding renal TAS and TOS levels. In the histopathological examination of the hepatic tissue, the histopathological injury score of the ACR group was significantly higher than those of the other groups whereas it was significantly lower in the ACR+BA group than the ACR group. Our study concluded that Boric acid had a protective effect against acrylamide- induced hepatotoxicity, but not against nephrotoxicity.

El objetivo de este estudio fue investigar si la administración de ácido bórico (BA) ejercería algún efecto protector frente a la posible nefrotoxicidad y hepatotoxicidad inducida por la exposición a acrilamida (ACR) en ratas. En nuestro estudio, utilizamos un total de 28 ratas que se dividieron en cuatro grupos iguales. Grupo 1: grupo control que no fue tratado. Grupo 2: grupo ACR al que se le administró ACR 50 mg/kg/día por vía intraperitoneal (i.p) durante 14 días. Grupo 3: grupo BA al que se le administró BA 200 mg/kg/día por sonda por vía peroral (p.o) durante 14 días. Grupo 4: grupo ACR+BA al que se administró BA simultáneamente con ACR. Las capacidades antioxidantes y oxidantes totales (TAS/TOS) se midieron en todos los grupos al final del experimento. Además, los especímenes obtenidos fueron evaluados con examen histopatológico. Los estudios demostraron que los grupos ACR y ACr+BA no fueron significativamente diferentes en términos del nivel hepático de TAS, mientras que el nivel de TOS fue mayor en el grupo ACR que en el grupo ACR+BA. Los grupos no mostraron ninguna diferencia significativa con respecto a los niveles renales de TAS y TOS. En el examen histopatológico del tejido hepático, la puntuación de lesión histopatológica del grupo ACR fue significativamente mayor que la de los otros grupos, mientras que fue significativamente menor en el grupo ACR+BA que en el grupo ACR. Nuestro estudio concluyó que el ácido bórico tiene un efecto protector contra la hepatotoxicidad inducida por acrilamida, pero no contra la nefrotoxicidad.