boron and boric-acid

Boron (B) is an essential trace element in plants, and borate cross-linking of pectic polysaccharide rhamnogalacturonan-II (RG-II) in cell walls is required for normal cell growth. High concentrations of B are toxic to cells. Therefore, plants need to control B transport to respond to B conditions in the environment. Over the past two decades, genetic analyses of Arabidopsis thaliana have revealed that B transport is governed by two types of membrane transport molecules: NIPs (nodulin-26-like intrinsic proteins), which facilitate boric acid permeation, and BORs, which export borate from cells. In this article, we review recent findings on the (i) regulation at the cell level, (ii) diversity among plant species and (iii) evolution of these B transporters in plants. We first describe the systems regulating these B transporters at the cell level, focusing on the molecular mechanisms underlying the polar localization of proteins and B-dependent expression, as well as their physiological significance in A. thaliana. Then, we examine the presence of homologous genes and characterize the functions of NIPs and BORs in B homeostasis, in a wide range of plant species, including Brassica napus, Oryza sativa and Zea mays. Finally, we discuss the evolutionary aspects of NIPs and BORs as B transporters, and the possible relationship between the diversification of B transport and the occurrence of RG-II in plants. This review considers the sophisticated systems of B transport that are conserved among various plant species, which were established to meet mineral nutrient requirements.

Topics: Aquaporins; Arabidopsis Proteins; Arsenites; Biological Transport; Boric Acids; Boron; Carrier Proteins; Evolution, Molecular; Models, Theoretical; Pectins; Plant Proteins; Plants

In this review, emphasis is given to the most recent updates about morpho-anatomical, physiological, biochemical and molecular responses adopted by plants to cope with B excess. Boron (B) is a unique micronutrient for plants given that the range of B concentration from its essentiality to toxicity is extremely narrow, and also because it occurs as an uncharged molecule (boric acid) which can pass lipid bilayers without any degree of controls, as occurs for other ionic nutrients. Boron frequently exceeds the plant's requirement in arid and semiarid environments due to poor drainage, and in agricultural soils close to coastal areas due to the intrusion of B-rich seawater in fresh aquifer or because of dispersion of seawater aerosol. Global releases of elemental B through weathering, volcanic and geothermal processes are also relevant in enriching B concentration in some areas. Considerable progress has been made in understanding how plants react to B toxicity and relevant efforts have been made to investigate: (I) B uptake and in planta partitioning, (II) physiological, biochemical, and molecular changes induced by B excess, with particular emphasis to the effects on the photosynthetic process, the B-triggered oxidative stress and responses of the antioxidant apparatus to B toxicity, and finally (III) mechanisms of B tolerance. Recent findings addressing the effects of B toxicity are reviewed here, intending to clarify the effect of B excess and to propose new perspectives aimed at driving future researches on the topic.

Topics: Antioxidants; Biological Transport; Boric Acids; Boron; Hydroxybenzoates; Oxidative Stress; Photosynthesis; Plant Physiological Phenomena; Plants; Polymers; Soil

Boron is an essential element for plants and probably essential for human and animal health. Boron has a broad range of physiological effects on biological systems at low concentrations, whereas it is toxic to at high concentrations. Eventhough there are many studies on boron's biological effects and toxicity, more information is needed to understand the mechanisms of its action. The aim of the current work is to review boron's function, transport and toxicity in different biological systems.

Topics: Animals; Biological Transport; Boric Acids; Boron; Humans

The reproductive toxicity of boric acid and borates is a matter of current regulatory concern. Based on experimental studies in rats, no-observed-adverse-effect levels (NOAELs) were found to be 17.5 mg boron (B)/kg body weight (b.w.) for male fertility and 9.6 mg B/kg b.w. for developmental toxicity. Recently, occupational human field studies in highly exposed cohorts were reported from China and Turkey, with both studies showing negative results regarding male reproduction. A comparison of the conditions of these studies with the experimental NOAEL conditions are based on reported B blood levels, which is clearly superior to a scaling according to estimated B exposures. A comparison of estimated daily B exposure levels and measured B blood levels confirms the preference of biomonitoring data for a comparison of human field studies. In general, it appears that high environmental exposures to B are lower than possible high occupational exposures. The comparison reveals no contradiction between human and experimental reproductive toxicity data. It clearly appears that human B exposures, even in the highest exposed cohorts, are too low to reach the blood (and target tissue) concentrations that would be required to exert adverse effects on reproductive functions.

Topics: Animals; Boric Acids; Boron; China; Dogs; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Environmental Exposure; Female; Fertility; Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Male; Mice; No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level; Occupational Exposure; Pharmacokinetics; Rats; Reproduction; Turkey

Boron, the fifth element in the periodic table, is ubiquitous in nature. It is present in food and in surface and ocean waters, and is frequently used in industrial, cosmetic, and medical settings. Exposure to boron and related compounds has been recently implicated as a potential cause of chronic kidney disease in Southeast Asia. This observation prompted the present review of the published data on the effects of acute and chronic exposure to boron on renal function and structure in human beings and in experimental animals.

Topics: Animals; Boric Acids; Boron; Chemical Phenomena; Chemistry, Physical; Diet; Environmental Exposure; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Kidney; Kidney Diseases; Kidney Failure, Chronic; Renal Dialysis

Boron (B) is widely distributed in surface and groundwaters predominantly as undissociated boric acid, and is found in ocean waters at a mean level of approx 4.6 mg B/L. A recent analysis of US surface waters indicated that the 10th, 50th, and 90th percentile B levels were 0.010, 0.076, and 0.387 mg B/L, respectively. The same study found that the 50th and 90th percentile B levels in California drinking waters were 0.10 and 0.40 mg B/L, respectively. The overall mean B concentration in Canadian surface waters in 1988 was reported to be 0.16 mg B/L, with a few stations reporting concentrations above 2.0 mg B/L. Unusually high levels of B have been measured in human water supplies of northern Chile, with concentrations ranging from 0.31 to 15.2 mg B/L. River water sources of B in the UK and Northern Italy were found to range from 0.002 to 0.87 mg B/L, respectively, whereas German drinking waters had median and maximum B levels of 0.02 and 0.18 mg B/L, respectively. Bottled mineral water also represents a source of B exposure based on the largest reported survey of US and European products, with a mean level of 0.75 mg B/L and a range from <0.005 to 4.35 mg B/L. Thus, B intake from drinking water is highly variable and dependent on the geographic source, the quantities of water consumed and the water sources used to bottle other beverages.

Topics: Borates; Boric Acids; Boron; Canada; Chile; Environmental Exposure; Europe; Humans; Mineral Waters; United States; Water Supply

Acetaminophen (APAP) is one of the popular and safe pain medications worldwide. However, due its wide availability, it is frequently implicated in intentional or unintentional overdoses where it can cause severe liver injury and even acute liver failure. Boron is a bioactive trace element, found naturally as boric acid (BA) and borate. In this study, the effects of boric acid on the acute renal toxicity induced by APAP in rats were researched in comparison with N-acetyl cysteine (NAC). In the study, 7 groups were formed and 2 g/kg dose of paracetamol per rat was prepared by suspending in 1% Carboxy Methyl Cellulose (CMC) solution of phosphate buffer saline (PBS). Boric acid dissolved in saline was administered to experimental animals by gavage at doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg. In this study, ER stress and apoptosis formed by paracetamol-induced nephrotoxicity were investigated. This purpose determined iNOS, PERK, ATF6, NFkB p53, caspases 3, 12, bcl-2, and bcl-xL gene mRNA expression kidney tissue. Also, the levels of kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), Cysteine (Cys), and IL-18 levels, which are mentioned today as kidney damage markers were compared with BUN and creatine levels. The effect of boron on kidney damage was determined by histopathologic. Data were statistically analyzed by using SPSS-20 ANOVA and stated as means and standard deviation. According to the data obtained in our study, we believe that boric acid has a protective effect on the negative effects of paracetamol on the kidney. We believe that our study will provide useful data to the literature on the possibility of a supplement to be used as an active compound in paracetamol for the prophylaxis of boric acid and it can also be converted into a useful product.

Topics: Acetaminophen; Acetylcysteine; Animals; Apoptosis; Boron; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress; Kidney Diseases; Rats

Glioblastoma multiform (GBM) is a malignant tumor cancer that originates from the star-shaped glial support tissues, namely astrocytes, and it is associated with a poor prognosis in the brain. The GBM has no cure, and chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy are all ineffective. A certain dose of Boric acid (BA) has many biochemical effects, conspicuously over antioxidant/oxidant rates. This article sought to investigate the modifies of various doses of BA on the glioblastoma concerning cytotoxicity, ferroptosis, apoptosis, and semaphorin-neuropilin signaling pathway. The Cytotoxic activity and cell viability of BA (0.39-25 mM) in C6 cells were tested at 24, 48, and 72 h using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol, 2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT). The IC

Topics: Antioxidants; Boron; Cell Line, Tumor; Ferroptosis; Glioblastoma; Humans; Membrane Proteins; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Neuropilins; Oxidants; Semaphorins; Signal Transduction

In this study, the use of boron-based materials on efficiency of environmentally friendly porous ceramics was investigated. In this context, a glaze formulation was created that uses high amounts of frit and sintered at low temperatures. Boric acid and colemanite were added to glaze formulations and different alternative formulations were created by reducing the frit percentage. These materials were added to these glaze formulations in two different ways, calcined and raw. The glaze mixtures obtained from the formulations were applied on the ceramic body and fired at 950-1000-1020-1100-1200 °C in the laboratory oven. Crystal phase structures of glaze samples containing boric acid and colemanite were analyzed by X-Ray Crystallography (XRD) method. The surface properties and characterizations of the obtained samples were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Differential Thermal Analysis and Thermogravimetric analysis (DTA/TG) were performed to determine their thermal behavior and mass loss. As a result of the analysis, it was observed that boron derivatives are a good flux agent and do not have a negative effect on the surface and other technical properties of the glaze. In the formulations of glazes with high frit content and processed at low temperatures, the percentage of frit has been reduced and costs have been improved. Also, energy costs were improved with the reduction in firing temperatures. Considering the energy and raw material costs of this study, it is predicted that high efficiency will be achieved in the process.

Topics: Boron; Ceramics; Porosity; Surface Properties

Ferroptosis is a form of regulated cell death (RCD) characterized by intracellular iron ion accumulation and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced lipid peroxidation. Ferroptosis in cancer and ferroptosis-related anticancer drugs have recently gained interest in the field of cancer treatment. Boron is an essential trace element playing an important role in several biological processes. Recent studies have described contrasting effects of boric acid (BA) in cancer cells, ranging from protective/mitogenic to damaging/antiproliferative. Interestingly, boron has been shown to interfere with critical factors involved in ferroptosis-intracellular glutathione and lipid peroxidation in the first place. Thus, the present study was aimed to verify the ability of boron to modulate the ferroptotic process in HepG2 cells, a model of hepatocellular carcinoma. Our results indicate that-when used at high, pharmacological concentrations-BA can increase intracellular ROS, glutathione, and TBARS levels, and enhance ferroptosis induced by RSL3 and erastin. Also, high BA concentrations can directly induce ferroptosis, and such BA-induced ferroptosis can add to the cytotoxic effects of anticancer drugs sorafenib, doxorubicin and cisplatin. These observations suggest that BA could be exploited as a chemo-sensitizer agent in order to overcome cancer drug resistance in selected conditions. However, the possibility of reaching suitably high concentrations of BA in the tumor microenvironment will need to be further investigated.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Boron; Cell Death; Ferroptosis; Glutathione; Humans; Lipid Peroxidation; Liver Neoplasms; Reactive Oxygen Species; Tumor Microenvironment

African ostrich chicks (Struthio camelus) were divided into six groups, and each received different levels of boric acid (source of boron) in the drinking water (0, 40, 80, 160, 320, and 640 mg/L respectively) to examine the histological, apoptotic, biochemical, and transcriptomic parameters. Morphological analysis in different groups was assessed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, periodic acid Schiff (PAS) staining, and terminal deoxynucleotide transferase dUTP Nick-End Labeling (TUNEL) assay. The biochemical profile was evaluated spectrophotometrically. Detailed RNA-Seq of the data was performed using the transcriptomic method. H&E staining showed well-developed liver structure up to the 160 mg/L boric acid (BA) supplement groups, while BA doses (320 mg/L and 640 mg/L) caused changes in hepatocytes and portal triads. PAS staining showed that glycogen levels were optimal in the 80 mg/L BA dose group, but a reduction in glycogen levels was observed after this group, particularly in the 640 mg/L BA supplement group. Cellular apoptosis showed a biphasic pattern, and the BA dose above 160 mg/L enhanced cell death. In addition, serum analysis showed that doses of 80-160 mg BA were beneficial for ostrich liver. Then, the transcriptome analysis of the 80 mg dose also showed mainly positive effects on the liver. These results demonstrated that chronic BA exposure (320-640 mg) can cause significant histological, apoptotic, and biochemical changes in African ostrich liver, while the adequate dose of supplementation (particularly 80 mg BA) promotes liver growth.

Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; Boron; Chickens; Gene Expression Profiling; Liver; Struthioniformes; Transcriptome

Although boron is an essential element for many organisms, an excess amount of it can cause toxicity, and the mechanism behind this toxicity is not yet fully understood. The Gcn4 transcription factor plays a crucial role in the boron stress response by directly activating the expression of the boron efflux pump Atr1. More than a dozen transcription factors and multiple cell signaling pathways have roles in regulating the Gcn4 transcription factor under various circumstances. However, it is unknown which pathways or factors mediate boron signaling to Gcn4. Using the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model, we analyzed the factors that converge on the Gcn4 transcription factor to assess their possible roles in boron stress signaling. Our findings show that the GCN system is activated by uncharged tRNA stress in response to boron treatment and that GCN1, which plays a role in transferring uncharged tRNAs to Gcn2, is necessary for the kinase activity of Gcn2. The SNF and PKA pathways were not involved in mediating boron stress, even though they interact with Gcn4. Mutations in TOR pathway genes, such as GLN3 and TOR1, abolished Gcn4 and ATR1 activation in response to boric acid treatment. Therefore, our study suggests that the TOR pathway must be functional to form a proper response against boric acid stress.

Topics: Boron; DNA-Binding Proteins; Protein Biosynthesis; Protein Kinases; RNA, Transfer; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; Transcription Factors

Topics: Antioxidants; Boron; Hydrogen Peroxide; Seedlings; Triticum

Acute kidney injury is still a worldwide clinic problem that affects kidney function and associated with high mortality risk. Unfortunately, approximately 1.7 million people are thought to die from acute kidney injury each year. Boron element is defined as an "essential trace element" for plants and thought to have a widespread role in living organisms. Boric acid, which is one of the important forms of boron, has been extensively discussed for both medicinal and nonmedicinal purposes. However, there is a lack of data in the literature to examine the relationship between boric acid and antidiuretic hormone (ADH) antagonism in kidney injury. Thus, we aimed to investigate the effects of conivaptan as an ADH antagonist and boric acid as an antioxidant agent on the post-ischemic renal injury process. In this study, the unilateral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury rat model with contralateral nephrectomy was performed and blood/kidney tissue samples were taken at 6th hours of reperfusion. The effects of 10 mg/mL/kg conivaptan and 50 mg/kg boric acid were examined with the help of some biochemical and histological analyses. We observed that conivaptan generally alleviated the destructive effects of I/R and has therapeutic effects. Also of note is that conivaptan and boric acid combination tended to show negative effects on kidney function, considering the highest BUN (78.46 ± 3.88 mg/dL) and creatinine levels (1.561 ± 0.1018 mg/dL), suggesting possibly drug-drug interaction. Although it has reported that conivaptan can interact with other active substances, no experimental/clinical data on the possible interaction with boric acid have reported so far.

Topics: Acute Kidney Injury; Animals; Antidiuretic Hormone Receptor Antagonists; Benzazepines; Boric Acids; Boron; Humans; Kidney; Rats; Reperfusion Injury

The possible anti-cancer properties of boron, a trace element for humans, have been demonstrated in various experimental and epidemiological studies, although the effects of boron on liver cancer are unclear. In the present study we evaluate the effects of boric acid on the cell lines of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) of the liver, as the leading form of liver cancer, for which a poorly-differentiated HCC cell line (Mahlavu cell line) was used.. The anti-cancer effect of boric acid was investigated with a cell viability assay, apoptosis analysis, cell migration analysis, cell morphology analysis, colony formation assay and 3D cell culture techniques. Also, the effect of boric acid on the AKT signaling pathway was determined through a western blot analysis.. Boric acid was found to reduce cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and decreased survival, colony formation ability, migration capability and HCC cell tumor spheroid growth in HCC cell lines, while also inducing apoptosis, autophagy and morphological alteration. Furthermore, boric acid inhibited AKT phosphorylation, and anticancer biological responses in HCC cells were observed only in cells in which AKT phosphorylation was suppressed by boric acid.. Our results suggest that boric acid might be a promising therapeutic candidate in hepatocellular carcinoma via the inhibition of AKT signaling pathway.

Topics: Apoptosis; Boric Acids; Boron; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Humans; Liver Neoplasms; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Signal Transduction

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system. In different studies, it has been investigated that boric acid has positive effects on different mechanisms that are important in PD. The aim of our study was to investigate the pharmacological, behavioral and biochemical effects of boric acid on rats with experimental PD with Rotenone. For this purpose, Wistar-albino rats were divided into 6 groups. Only normal saline was applied subcutaneously (s.c) to the first control and sunflower oil to the second control group. Rotenone was administered (s.c) to 4 groups (groups 3-6) at a dose of 2 mg/kg for 21 days. Only rotenone (2mg/kg, s.c) was administered to the third group. Boric acid was administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) at 5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, and 20 mg/kg to groups 4, 5, and 6, respectively. During the study, behavioral tests were applied to the rats, and then histopathological and biochemical analyzes were performed from the sacrificed tissues. According to the data obtained, a statistically significant difference (p<0.05) was observed between the Parkinson's group and the other groups in motor behavior tests, excluding the catalepsy test. Boric acid exhibited dose-dependent antioxidant activity. As a result of the histopathological and immunohistochemical (IHC) examination, a decrease in neuronal degeneration was observed at the increasing doses of boric acid, while gliosis and focal encephalomalacia were rarely encountered. There was a significant increase in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactivity, especially in group 6, with a dose of 20 mg/kg of boric acid. From these results, we conclude that the dose-dependent effect of boric acid may protect the dopaminergic system with antioxidant activity in the pathogenesis of PD. However, the effectiveness of boric acid on PD needs further investigation in a larger, more detailed study using different methods.

Topics: Animals; Antioxidants; Boron; Disease Models, Animal; Neuroprotective Agents; Parkinson Disease; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Rotenone

Topics: Boric Acids; Boron; Cell Differentiation; Dental Enamel Proteins; Osteoblasts; Osteogenesis; RNA, Messenger

To investigate the cytotoxic effects of boron application at different doses on U-87 MG glioblastoma cells.. The T98G (ATCC® CRL-1690?) glioblastoma cell strain used in the study was acquired from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) (Manassas, USA). Boric acid solution was prepared by mechanical mixing in the medium. Afterwards, 2.5 mM, 25 mM and 50 mM boron were each added to U87-MG glioblastoma cells and incubated for 48 hours. The cytotoxic effects on the cells was determined using the MTT (Methylthiazole diphenyl tetrazolium) test 48 hours after boron application.. IC50 value was detected as 17 mM in the 48-hour boric acid application on U-87 MG glioblastoma cells.. Boron treatment might be an effective approach for glioblastoma.

Topics: Boric Acids; Boron; Boron Neutron Capture Therapy; Brain Neoplasms; Cell Line, Tumor; Cytotoxins; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Glioblastoma; Humans

Boron is an essential mineral for plants, and as such, is a normal dietary constituent for humans. Humans may be naturally exposed to boron through food and drinking water, or via anthropogenic sources such as consumer products. The World Health Organisation established an acceptable safe range of population mean intakes for boron of 1-13 mg/day. Most studies of dietary boron intake show a range of 1-2 mg/day. Consumer products have been estimated to contribute a geometric mean daily intake of 0.1 mg to total boron exposure; however, there are few published surveys of consumer exposure to boron from use of cleaning products. The Government of Canada published a draft screening assessment report of boric acid, its salts and precursors that included estimates of consumer exposure to boron found as ingredients in consumer products. The manufacturers of consumer cleaning products conducted a survey of boron content of current products and estimated exposure using the publicly available exposure tool ConsExpo Web. Dermal exposures to boron during cleaning product use were estimated to result in annual internal exposures ranging from ≪0.001 to 0.36 μg/kg bw/day based on dermal absorption of 0.5%. Using a conservative point of departure for hazard assessment (2,900 μg boron/kg bw/day), estimated margins of exposure for dermal exposures to boron from cleaning product use range from 8,056 to >1,000,000. This work demonstrates that exposure to boron from cleaning product use is very low and essentially insignificant when compared to other (e.g. dietary) sources of boron intake by Canadian consumers.

Topics: Boric Acids; Boron; Canada; Construction Materials; Drinking Water; Environmental Exposure; Household Products; Humans; Risk Assessment

The reported beneficial effects of boron on mineralized tissues in animals and humans vary. Thus, a study was performed to assess whether the variability was the result of different forms of boron supplementation, method of supplementation, and increased adiposity of the rabbit experimental model. Thirty-one female New Zealand White rabbits, (aged 8 months, 2-2.5 kg weight) were fed a grain-based high energy diet containing 11.76 MJ/kg (2850 kcal/kg) and 3.88 mg boron/kg. The rabbits were randomly divided into four treatment groups: Control group was not supplemented with boron (n:7; C), and three groups supplemented with 30 mg boron/L in drinking water in the forms of borax decahydrate (Na2O4B7 10H2O, n:10; BD), borax anhydrous (Na2O4B7, n:7; Bah) or boric acid (H2BO3, n:7; BA). Cone beam micro computed tomographic (micro-CT), histological and elemental analysis was used to evaluate the bones/teeth. Results of the experiments demonstrated that boron supplementation had beneficial effects on mineralized tissue but varied with the type of treatment. Mineral density of the femur was increased by the Bah and BA treatments (p < 0.001), but only BA increased mineral density in the tibia (p = 0.015). In incisor teeth, mineral density of dentin was increased by all boron treatments (p < 0.001), and mineral density of enamel was increased by the BD and Bah treatments. Mineral analysis found that all boron treatments increased the boron concentration in tibia and femur. In the tibia, both the BD and Bah treatments decreased the iron concentration, and the BD treatment decreased the magnesium concentration. Sodium and zinc concentrations in the tibia were decreased by the Bah and BA treatments. The boron treatments did not significantly affect the calcium, copper, molybdenum, potassium phosphorus, and sulfur concentrations. The findings show that boron supplementation can have beneficial effects on mineralized tissues in an animal model with increased adiposity, which is a model of increased inflammatory stress. However, this effect varies with the form of boron supplemented, the method of supplementation, and the mineralized tissue examined.

Topics: Animals; Bone Density; Borates; Boric Acids; Boron; Diet; Dietary Supplements; Drinking Water; Female; Minerals; Rabbits

Boron (B) is essential for vascular plants. Rapeseed (Brassica napus) is the second leading crop source for vegetable oil worldwide, but its production is critically dependent on B supplies. BnaA3.NIP5;1 was identified as a B-efficient candidate gene in B. napus in our previous QTL fine mapping. However, the molecular mechanism through which this gene improves low-B tolerance remains elusive. Here, we report genetic variation in BnaA3.NIP5;1 gene, which encodes a boric acid channel, is a key determinant of low-B tolerance in B. napus. Transgenic lines with increased BnaA3.NIP5;1 expression exhibited improved low-B tolerance in both the seedling and maturity stages. BnaA3.NIP5;1 is preferentially polar-localized in the distal plasma membrane of lateral root cap (LRC) cells and transports B into the root tips to promote root growth under B-deficiency conditions. Further analysis revealed that a CTTTC tandem repeat in the 5'UTR of BnaA3.NIP5;1 altered the expression level of the gene, which is tightly associated with plant growth and seed yield. Field tests with natural populations and near-isogenic lines (NILs) confirmed that the varieties carried BnaA3.NIP5;1Q allele significantly improved seed yield. Taken together, our results provide novel insights into the low-B tolerance of B. napus, and the elite allele of BnaA3.NIP5;1 could serve as a direct target for breeding low-B-tolerant cultivars.

Topics: Alleles; Aquaporins; Boric Acids; Boron; Brassica napus; Chromosome Mapping; DNA Mutational Analysis; Gene Expression; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Genetic Variation; Plant Breeding; Plant Roots; Seedlings; Seeds

Nodulin 26-like intrinsic proteins (NIPs) play essential roles in transporting the nutrients silicon and boron in seed plants, but the evolutionary origin of this transport function and the co-permeability to toxic arsenic remains enigmatic. Horizontal gene transfer of a yet uncharacterised bacterial AqpN-aquaporin group was the starting-point for plant NIP evolution. We combined intense sequence, phylogenetic and genetic context analyses and a mutational approach with various transport assays in oocytes and plants to resolve the transorganismal and functional evolution of bacterial and algal and terrestrial plant NIPs and to reveal their molecular transport specificity features. We discovered that aqpN genes are prevalently located in arsenic resistance operons of various prokaryotic phyla. We provided genetic and functional evidence that these proteins contribute to the arsenic detoxification machinery. We identified NIPs with the ancestral bacterial AqpN selectivity filter composition in algae, liverworts, moss, hornworts and ferns and demonstrated that these archetype plant NIPs and their prokaryotic progenitors are almost impermeable to water and silicon but transport arsenic and boron. With a mutational approach, we demonstrated that during evolution, ancestral NIP selectivity shifted to allow subfunctionalisations. Together, our data provided evidence that evolution converted bacterial arsenic efflux channels into essential seed plant nutrient transporters.

Topics: Animals; Aquaporins; Arsenic; Bacteria; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biological Transport; Boric Acids; Boron; Bryophyta; Cell Membrane; Diffusion; Evolution, Molecular; Membrane Proteins; Metalloids; Mutation; Nitrogen; Oocytes; Phenotype; Phosphorus; Phylogeny; Plant Proteins; Plants; Recombinant Fusion Proteins; Silicic Acid; Water; Xenopus

Boron (B) deficiency is one of the major causes of growth inhibition and yield reduction in Brassica napus (B. napus). However, the molecular mechanisms of low B adaptation in B. napus are largely unknown. Here, fifty-one BnaWRKY transcription factors were identified as responsive to B deficiency in B. napus, in which BnaAn.WRKY26, BnaA9.WRKY47, BnaA1.WKRY53 and BnaCn.WRKY57 were tested in yeast one-hybrid assays and showed strong binding activity with conserved sequences containing a W box in the promoters of the B transport-related genes BnaNIP5;1s and BnaBOR1s. Green fluorescent protein fused to the target protein demonstrated the nuclear localization of BnaA9.WRKY47. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout lines of BnaA9.WRKY47 in B. napus had increased sensitivity to low B and lower contents of B than wild-type plants. In contrast, overexpression of BnaA9.WRKY47 enhanced the adaptation to low B with higher B contents in tissues than in wild-type plants. Consistent with the phenotypic response and B accumulation in these transgenic lines, the transcription activity of BnaA3.NIP5;1, a B efficiency candidate gene, was decreased in the knockout lines but was significantly increased in the overexpressing lines under low B conditions. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays, transient expression experiments in tobacco and in situ hybridizations showed that BnaA9.WRKY47 directly activated BnaA3.NIP5;1 expression through binding to the specific cis-element. Taken together, our findings support BnaWRKYs as new participants in response to low B, and BnaA9.WRKY47 contributes to the adaptation of B. napus to B deficiency through up-regulating BnaA3.NIP5;1 expression to facilitate efficient B uptake.

Topics: Boric Acids; Boron; Brassica napus; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Transcription Factors

In this study, an innovative, facile, and low-cost method is developed to prepare phenolic resin (PR) containing boron and silicon (BSiPR). BSiPR is synthesized by a solvent-free, one-pot method using boric acid as the coupling agent instead of silane, and methyltriethoxysilane as the silicon source. The results show that boron and silicon elements are introduced into PR via BOC and BOSi structures. The char yield of the resulting resin at 800 °C is improved to 76%. The reasons for higher char yield are investigated. The formation of BOC can reduce the content of phenolic hydroxyl, which helps to decrease the weight loss. B

Topics: Boric Acids; Boron; Charcoal; Formaldehyde; Materials Testing; Phenols; Polymers; Silicon; Surface Properties

This study was designed to investigate the effect of dietary boron on spatial learning, anxiety, some vitamins and oxidative parameters in rats. Thirty-two Wistar albino male rats were used in the study. The rats were equally divided into four groups with 8 rats each: I control group: standard pellet diet only, II. group: 250 ppm boric acid, III. group: 500 ppm boric acid and IV. group: 1000 ppm boric acid added into standard pellet diet. Over a five-week period, elevated plus-maze test was used for anxiety assessment and Morris water maze test was used for evaluating spatial learning. Additionally, blood samples were obtained at the end of the experiment and were used to determine the serum levels of some vitamins and oxidative parameters. Dietary boron significantly increased weight gain (p<0.001) and food consumption in the 250 ppm and 500 ppm groups (p<0.05). Although boron supplementation had no significant effect on learning and anxiety-related behavior, it had beneficiary effects on memory retention in the 1000 ppm group (p<0.05). Biochemical analyses showed a significant decrease in the MDA levels (p<0.05) and an increase in vitamin D3 levels (p<0.01) in the 500 ppm group, a significant increase in GSH-Px activity in the 250 ppm and 500 ppm groups (p<0.05), and a decrease in vitamin E levels in all the experimental groups (p<0.05). In conclusion, our study demonstrated that dietary boron can be beneficial for health when administered at appropriate doses.

Topics: Animals; Antioxidants; Behavior, Animal; Boric Acids; Boron; Diet; Glutathione Peroxidase; Learning; Male; Malondialdehyde; Maze Learning; Memory; Oxidative Stress; Rats, Wistar; Time Factors; Vitamin A; Vitamin D; Vitamin E

In this study, a chitosan hydrogel supported with ceria (labelled Ce-CTS) was prepared by an encapsulation technique and used for the efficient removal of excess B(III) from aqueous solutions. The functionalisation of chitosan with Ce(IV) and the improvement in the adsorptive behaviour of the hydrogel were determined by SEM-EDS, FTIR, XRD, and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES) analyses and discussed. The results demonstrate that Ce-CTS removes boric acid from aqueous solutions more efficiently than either cerium dioxide hydrate or raw chitosan beads, the precursors of the Ce-CTS biosorbent. The maximum adsorption capacity of 13.5 ± 0.9 mg/g was achieved at pH 7 after 24 h. The equilibrium data of boron adsorption on Ce-CTS fitted the Freundlich isotherm model, while the kinetic data followed the Elovich pseudo-second-order model, which indicated that the process was non-homogeneous. The dominant mechanism of removal was the reaction between boric acid molecules and hydroxyl groups bound to the ceria chelated by chitosan active centres. Due to its high efficiency in removing boron, good regeneration capacity and convenient form, Ce-CTS may be considered a promising biosorbent in water purification.

Topics: Adsorption; Boric Acids; Boron; Cerium; Chitosan; Hydrogels; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Kinetics; Water; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Water Purification

Diabetes mellitus is worldwide disease. The life of diabetic patients are dependent on exogenous insulin. Pancreas or particularly islet transplantations are performed for reducing external insulin dependency. External substances are also used to protect the β-cells from the death or increase insulin secretion. In the current study, two different boron containing compounds (sodium pentaborate pentahydrate-NaB and boric acid-BA) were investigated for their effect on pancreatic cells in terms of pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic markers, genes related to insulin production mechanism, pancreatic development and glucose metabolism, some antioxidant enzymes, and genes for the initiation of diabetes, insulin secretion and antioxidant enzyme activities in vitro. The results revealed that boron containing compounds did not lead to apoptosis. On the contrary, they increased cell viability, antioxidant enzyme activities and the level of genes related to insulin production. Overall evaluation, data in the current study showed that boron containing compounds might be promising therapeutic agents for type 1 diabetes. However, additional investigations are strictly needed to elucidate molecular mechanisms of boron containing compounds.

Topics: Annexin A5; Apoptosis; Borates; Boric Acids; Boron; Cell Line; Cell Survival; Diabetes Mellitus; Glutathione Peroxidase; Humans; Insulin; Insulin-Secreting Cells; Superoxide Dismutase

In this study, we evaluated the effect of boron (B) as boric acid (BA) on body weight (b.w.); blood glucose; plasma insulin; lipase and paraoxonase (PON1) activities; and serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, lipid peroxidation (MDA), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced experimental diabetes in rats. Sixty Wistar albino rats (200-250 g) were divided into six groups of ten. The groups received the following treatment: group 1, control group; group 2, 50 mg/kg (b.w.) i.p. STZ-induced diabetes; group 3, 5 mg/kg (b.w.) B; group 4, 10 mg/kg (b.w.) B; group 5, diabetes + 5 mg/kg (b.w.) B; and group 6, diabetes + 10 mg/kg (b.w.) B. The experiment lasted 4 weeks. Increased serum MDA levels with diabetes were significantly reduced and although it is not statistically significant, serum TAC levels approached to values of control group; also, insignificant increases were observed in HDL cholesterol levels in experimental diabetic rats with treatment 5 and 10 mg/kg B. Furthermore, body weight, plasma insulin, and lipase activities increased insignificantly, blood glucose and serum LDL cholesterol decreased significantly, and total cholesterol levels decreased insignificantly in the diabetes + 10 mg/kg B group. There was no difference between the groups in terms of plasma PON1 activities and serum triglyceride levels. In conclusion, B may have beneficial effects on some biochemical parameters changes in experimental diabetes, and in order to determine the full effect of this element on the metabolism, further studies are required which use various dosages and compounds of B.

Topics: Animals; Antioxidants; Aryldialkylphosphatase; Blood Glucose; Body Weight; Boric Acids; Boron; Cholesterol; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Lipid Peroxidation; Lipoproteins, HDL; Male; Oxidative Stress; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Triglycerides

Boron is increasingly added to food supplements due to multiple effects that have been reported in mammals after boric acid administration. Among these effects are inflammatory process control, bone and muscle strength enhancement, protein expression regulation, and a decreased risk of developing some pathologies in which these processes are key, such as osteoporosis, dermatological inflammatory non-infectious maladies and diseases affecting the central nervous system. Experimental data have suggested that steroid hormone levels in plasma change after boric acid administration, but a clear mechanism behind these variations has not been established. We analyzed possibilities for these changes and hypothesized that boric acid disrupts the interactions between steroid hormones and several carriers in plasma. In particular, we proposed that there is an uncoupling of the interactions between sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and estrogens and testosterone and that there are alterations in the binding of hydrophobic ligands by other carrier proteins in plasma. Further experimental and computational studies are required to support the hypothesis that boric acid and probably other boron-containing compounds can displace steroid hormones from their plasma carriers. If such phenomena are confirmed, boron administration with a clear mechanism could be employed as a therapeutic agent in several diseases or physiological events that require modulation of steroid hormone levels in plasma.

Topics: Boric Acids; Boron; Carrier Proteins; Estrogens; Glycoproteins; Humans; Inflammation; Ligands; Models, Theoretical; Osteoporosis; Protein Multimerization; Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; Steroids; Testosterone

The present study was conducted to evaluate the protective effect of dietary boric acid supplementation on the development of incidence and severity of footpad dermatitis (FPD) in broiler chickens subjected to normal or high stocking densities (NSD or HSD). A total of 576 1-day-old ROSS 308 broiler chickens were randomly allocated to 4 treatments (8 replicate pens per treatment) in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of dietary boric acid (0 and 60 mg/kg) and stocking density (NSD 14 birds/m2 and HSD 22 birds/m2). Basal diets were formulated for starter, grower, and finisher phases. Growth performance, litter quality (litter pH, moisture, temperature, and NH3 volatilization), serum and litter boron levels, and incidence and severity of FPD were recorded. The HSD affected the body weight gain and feed intake of broiler chickens during all phases and 0 to 42 (P < 0.05), whereas feed conversion ratio (FCR) was poor at 0 to 21 days only. Dietary boric acid had no effect on the growth performance of broiler chickens. Litter pH, moisture, and NH3 volatilization were higher in broiler chickens subjected to HSD (P < 0.05). Thus, the incidence and severity of FPD increased in response to HSD (P < 0.05). Dietary boric acid reduced the litter pH and NH3 volatilization on day 42 of experiment (P < 0.05). However, dietary boric acid supplementation had no effect on the incidence and severity of FPD. Boric acid supplementation in broiler diets increased the serum and litter boron levels at day 42 in broiler chickens subjected to NSD or HSD (P < 0.05). In conclusion, HSD resulted in poor growth performance, litter quality, and greater incidence and severity of FPD in broiler chickens. Dietary boric acid was ineffective against FPD in broiler chickens although it improved the litter quality by lowering the litter pH and NH3 volatilization.

Topics: Animal Feed; Animals; Boric Acids; Boron; Chickens; Dermatitis; Diet; Dietary Supplements; Floors and Floorcoverings; Foot Diseases; Incidence; Male; Population Density; Poultry Diseases

It has been reported that boron induces changes in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, body weight and inflammatory processes. This is relevant to the biomedical field due to the requirement for developing therapeutic tools with potential application in metabolic disorders affecting humankind. However, most of the reported data from both humans and animals were obtained after boron was administered as borax or boric acid. In this work, we determined the effects of boric, cyclohexylboronic (CHB) and phenylboronic (PBA) acids (10 mg/kg of body weight/daily for two weeks) on the body weight, metabolism and inflammatory markers in the blood of control, fat-feeding and experimental diabetic rats. In particular, we observed the effects of the administration of these compounds on glycaemia and cholesterol, triglyceride, insulin, IL-6 and C-reactive protein levels, as well as visceral fat and body weight. We found different profiles for each boron-containing compound: boric acid induced decreasing body weight, insulin and IL-6 levels; CHB administration induced an increase in body weight and cholesterol but decreased IL-6 levels; and PBA administration induced a decrease in visceral fat and glucose and insulin levels. These results can improve the understanding of boron as a metabolic regulator and help develop new potential strategies to use compounds with this trace element for therapeutic purposes.

Topics: Animals; Blood Glucose; Body Weight; Boric Acids; Boron; Boronic Acids; Inflammation; Insulin; Lipid Metabolism; Male; Rats

Dimerization of rhamnogalacturonan-II (RG-II) via boron cross-links contributes to the assembly and biophysical properties of the cell wall. Pure RG-II is efficiently dimerized by boric acid (B(OH)3 ) in vitro only if nonbiological agents for example Pb(2+) are added. By contrast, newly synthesized RG-II domains dimerize very rapidly in vivo. We investigated biological agents that might enable this. We tested for three such agents: novel enzymes, borate-transferring ligands and cationic 'chaperones' that facilitate the close approach of two polyanionic RG-II molecules. Dimerization was monitored electrophoretically. Parsley shoot cell-wall enzymes did not affect RG-II dimerization in vitro. Borate-binding ligands (apiose, dehydroascorbic acid, alditols) and small organic cations (including polyamines) also lacked consistent effects. Polylysine bound permanently to RG-II, precluding electrophoretic analysis. However, another polycation, polyhistidine, strongly promoted RG-II dimerization by B(OH)3 without irreversible polyhistidine-RG-II complexation. Likewise, partially purified spinach extensins (histidine/lysine-rich cationic glycoproteins), strongly promoted RG-II dimerization by B(OH)3 in vitro. Thus certain polycations, including polyhistidine and wall glycoproteins, can chaperone RG-II, manoeuvring this polyanionic polysaccharide domain such that boron-bridging is favoured. These chaperones dissociate from RG-II after facilitating its dimerization, indicating that they act catalytically rather than stoichiometrically. We propose a natural role for extensin-RG-II interaction in steering cell-wall assembly.

Topics: Borates; Boric Acids; Boron; Cations; Cell Wall; Dimerization; Glycoproteins; Histidine; Molecular Chaperones; Pectins; Petroselinum; Plant Proteins; Plant Shoots; Polysaccharides

Boric acid and sodium borates are classified as toxic to reproduction in the CLP Regulation under "Category 1B" with the hazard statement of "H360FD". This classification is based on the reprotoxic effects of boric acid and sodium borates in animal experiments at high doses. However, boron mediated reprotoxic effects have not been proven in epidemiological studies so far. The epidemiological study performed in Bandırma boric acid production plant is the most comprehensive published study in this field with 204 voluntarily participated male workers. Sperm quality parameters (sperm morphology, concentration and motility parameters), FSH, LH and testosterone levels were determined in all participated employees as the reproductive toxicity biomarkers of males. However, boron mediated unfavorable effects on reproduction in male workers have not been determined even in the workers under very high daily boron exposure (0.21 mg B/kg-bw/day) conditions. The NOAEL for rat reproductive toxicity is equivalent to a blood boron level of 2020 ng/g. This level is higher than the mean blood boron concentration (223.89 ± 69.49 ng/g) of the high exposure group workers in Bandırma boric acid production plant (Turkey) by a factor of 9. Accordingly, classifying boric acid and sodium borates under "Category 1B" as "presumed reproductive human toxicant in the CLP regulation seems scientifically not reasonable. The results of the epidemiological studies (including the study performed in China) support for a down-classification of boric acid from the category 1B, H360FD to category 2, H361d, (suspected of damaging the unborn child).

Topics: Air Pollutants, Occupational; Animals; Boric Acids; Boron; Drinking Water; Food Contamination; Humans; Male; Occupational Exposure; Rats; Reproduction; Risk Assessment; Semen; Sperm Motility; Spermatozoa; Turkey; Water Pollutants, Chemical

Acute wounds do not generally require professional treatment modalities and heal in a predictable fashion, but chronic wounds are mainly accompanied with infection and prolonged inflammation, leading to healing impairments and continuous tissue degradation. Although a vast amount of products have been introduced in the market, claiming to provide a better optimization of local and systemic conditions of patients, they do not meet the expectations due to being expensive and not easily accessible, requiring wound care facilities, having patient-specific response, low efficiency, and severe side-effects. In this sense, developing new, safe, self-applicable, effective, and cheap wound care products with broad-range antimicrobial activity is still an attractive area of international research. In the present work, boron derivatives [boric acid and sodium pentaborate pentahydrate (NaB)] were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity, proliferation, migratory, angiogenesis, gene, and growth factor expression promoting effects on dermal cells in vitro. In addition, boron-containing hydrogel formulation was examined for its wound healing promoting potential using full-thickness wound model in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The results revealed that while both boron compounds significantly increased proliferation, migration, vital growth factor, and gene expression levels of dermal cells along with displaying remarkable antimicrobial effects against bacteria, yeast, and fungi, NaB displayed greater antimicrobial properties as well as gene and growth factor expression inductive effects. Animal studies proved that NaB-containing gel formulation enhanced wound healing rate of diabetic animals and histopathological scores. Overall data suggest a potential promising therapeutic option for the management of chronic wounds but further studies are highly warranted to determine signaling pathways and target metabolisms in which boron is involved to elucidate the limitations and extend its use in clinics.

Topics: Animals; Borates; Boric Acids; Boron; Cell Movement; Cell Proliferation; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Humans; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Mice; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Wound Healing

Alkyl (oligo)glucosides (AOG) are known to be environmentally compatible amphiphiles whose commercial applicability should be broadened. The present paper describes the preparation of molecular assemblies of industrially produced AOG, which is a mixture composed of different length of alkyl chains (C9-C12) with oligoglucoside moiety with a few (1-3) of glucose units. It was also described that regulation of the dispersibility of the molecular assemblies prepared by diol-boron complexation between the sugar moiety on AOG and boric acid in a dispersion medium. The molecular assembly of AOG was successfully formed by mixing AOG and cholesterols (CH). When using a suitable amount of CH (20-40 mol% with respect to AOG), the molecular assembly formed a vesicle structure. The dispersion ability of the resulting vesicle was dependent on both the boric acid concentration and pH of the dispersion medium. The light-scattering and ζ-potential measurements revealed that high concentrations (≥10 mM) of boric acid improved dispersibility the vesicles. In contrast, the vesicle agglomerated at low concentrations of boric acid (1-7.5 mM). In the absence of boric acid in dispersion medium, the vesicles were completely agglomerated. The optimum pH range for vesicle dispersion was found to be from neutral to basic (7.4-10.1). The (11)B NMR study revealed that borate ester formation occurred between boric acid and the diol of the sugar moiety on AOG vesicle. The present data suggest that borate ester formation that occurred on the surface of the vesicle provided negative charge to the vesicles, contributing to their dispersion via repulsive forces.

Topics: Alcohols; Boric Acids; Boron; Cholesterol; Glucosides; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration

Boron, a vital micronutrient for plant metabolism, is not fully elucidated for embryonic and adult body development, and tissue regeneration. Although optimized amount of boron supplement has been shown to be essential for normal gestational development in zebrafish and frog and beneficial for bone regeneration in higher animals, effects of boron on myogenesis and myo-regeneration remains to be solved. In the current study, we investigated dose-dependent activity of boric acid on myogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs) using immunocytochemical, gene, and protein expression analysis. The results revealed that while low- (81.9 μM) and high-dose (819.6 μM) boron treatment increased myogenic gene expression levels such as myosin heavy chain (MYH), MyoD, myogenin, and desmin at day 4 of differentiation, high-dose treatment decreased myogenic-related gene and protein levels at day 21 of differentiation, confirmed by immunocytochemical analysis. The findings of the study present not only an understanding of boron's effect on myogenic differentiation but also an opportunity for the development of scaffolds to be used in skeletal tissue engineering and supplements for embryonic muscle growth. However, fine dose tuning and treatment period arranging are highly warranted as boron treatment over required concentrations and time might result in detrimental outcomes to myogenesis and myo-regeneration.

Topics: Adipocytes; Adipose Tissue; Boric Acids; Boron; Cell Culture Techniques; Cell Differentiation; Cell Survival; Desmin; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Gene Expression Regulation; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Middle Aged; Muscle, Skeletal; MyoD Protein; Myogenin; Myosin Heavy Chains; Regeneration; Stem Cells; Tissue Engineering

The aim of this study was to develop boron (B)-releasing polymeric scaffold to promote regeneration of bone tissue. Boric acid-doped chitosan nanoparticles with a diameter of approx. 175 nm were produced by tripolyphosphate (TPP)-initiated ionic gelation process. The nanoparticles strongly attached via electrostatic interactions into chitosan scaffolds produced by freeze-drying with approx. 100 μm pore diameter. According to the ICP-OES results, following first 5h initial burst release, fast release of B from scaffolds was observed for 24h incubation period in conditioned medium. Then, slow release of B was performed over 120 h. The results of the cell culture studies proved that the encapsulated boron within the scaffolds can be used as an osteoinductive agent by showing its positive effects on the proliferation and differentiation of MC3T3-E1 preosteoblastic cells.

Topics: Adsorption; Animals; Biomarkers; Bone Density Conservation Agents; Bone Regeneration; Boric Acids; Boron; Cell Line; Cell Proliferation; Chitosan; Delayed-Action Preparations; Drug Compounding; Drug Delivery Systems; Drug Liberation; Mice; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Nanoparticles; Osteoblasts; Osteogenesis; Particle Size; Porosity; Tissue Scaffolds

B is a necessary trace element for human and animals, but the excess intake of B caused poison. Thus, it is very important to determination of B in foods and water. The target of this study is development of a new, sensitive and selective resonance Rayleigh scattering energy transfer (RRS-ET) for the determination of B. The combination of energy transfer with resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) has developed a new technology called RRS-ET, which can realize selective and sensitive detection of boric acid. The gold nanorods in diameter of 12 nm and length of 37 nm were prepared by the seed growth procedure. In pH 5. 6 NH4 Ac-HAc buffer solution and in the presence of azomethine-H (AMH), the gold nanorod particles exhibited a strong resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) peak at 404 nm. In the presence of boric acid, it reacts with AMH to form AMH-boric acid (AMH-B) complexes. When the complexe as a receptor close to the gold nanorod as a donor, the resonance Rayleigh scattering energy transfer (RRS-ET) take placed that resulted in the Rayleigh scattering signal quenching. With the increase of the concentration of boric acid, the formed complexes increased, the scattering light energy of gold nanorod transfer to the complexes increased, resulting in the Rayleigh scattering intensity linearly reduced at 404 nrn. The decreased RRS intensity responds linearly to the concentration of boron over 10~750 ng . mL-1 B, with a regress equation of ΔI404 nm =3. 53c+24 and a detection of 5 ng mL-1 B. The influence of coexistence substances on the RRS-ET determination of 2. 3 X 10(-7) mol . L-1 B was considered in details. Results showed that this new RRS-ET method is of high selectivity, that is, 4 X 10(-4) mol . L-1 Mn2+, Cd2+, Zn2+, Bi+, Na+, Al3+, glucose, Hg2+, IO3-, F-, SO(2-)3, SiO3-, NO3-, CIO4-, H2O2, mannitol, glycerol, and ethylene glycol, 4X 10(-5) mol . L-1 L-tyrosine, and 2 X 10(-4) mol . L-1 L-glutamic acid do not interfere with the determination. Based on this, a new sensitive, selective, simple and rapid RRS-ET method has been developed for the determination of trace boron in six mineral water samples that contain 24. 9, 29. 3, 57. 9, 59. 0, 84. 9, and 105. 1 ng . mL-1 B, with relative standard deviation of 1. 6%~ 4. 1% and recovery of 95. 61~9. 6%.

Topics: Boric Acids; Boron; Buffers; Energy Transfer; Glutamic Acid; Gold; Hydrogen Peroxide; Nanotubes; Naphthalenesulfonates; Scattering, Radiation; Thiosemicarbazones; Trace Elements; Tyrosine; Vibration

The cell-wall pectic domain rhamnogalacturonan-II (RG-II) is cross-linked via borate diester bridges, which influence the expansion, thickness and porosity of the wall. Previously, little was known about the mechanism or subcellular site of this cross-linking. Using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) to separate monomeric from dimeric (boron-bridged) RG-II, we confirmed that Pb(2+) promotes H3 BO3 -dependent dimerisation in vitro. H3 BO3 concentrations as high as 50 mm did not prevent cross-linking. For in-vivo experiments, we successfully cultured 'Paul's Scarlet' rose (Rosa sp.) cells in boron-free medium: their wall-bound pectin contained monomeric RG-II domains but no detectable dimers. Thus pectins containing RG-II domains can be held in the wall other than via boron bridges. Re-addition of H3 BO3 to 3.3 μm triggered a gradual appearance of RG-II dimer over 24 h but without detectable loss of existing monomers, suggesting that only newly synthesised RG-II was amenable to boron bridging. In agreement with this, Rosa cultures whose polysaccharide biosynthetic machinery had been compromised (by carbon starvation, respiratory inhibitors, anaerobiosis, freezing or boiling) lost the ability to generate RG-II dimers. We conclude that RG-II normally becomes boron-bridged during synthesis or secretion but not post-secretion. Supporting this conclusion, exogenous [(3) H]RG-II was neither dimerised in the medium nor cross-linked to existing wall-associated RG-II domains when added to Rosa cultures. In conclusion, in cultured Rosa cells RG-II domains have a brief window of opportunity for boron-bridging intraprotoplasmically or during secretion, but secretion into the apoplast is a point of no return beyond which additional boron-bridging does not readily occur.

Topics: Arabidopsis; Boric Acids; Boron; Cell Wall; Cells, Cultured; Dimerization; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Lead; Pectins; Polysaccharides; Rosa; Tritium

Chemical oxo-precipitation (COP), which combines treatment with an oxidant and precipitation using metal salts, was developed for treating boron-containing water under milder conditions (room temperature, pH 10) than those of conventional coagulation processes. The concentration of boron compounds was 1000mg-BL(-1). They included boric acid (H3BO3) and perborate (NaBO3). Precipitation using calcium chloride eliminated 80% of the boron from the perborate solution, but was unable to treat boric acid. COP uses hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to pretreat boric acid, substantially increasing the removal of boron from boric acid solution by chemical precipitation from less than 5% to 80%. Furthermore, of alkaline earth metals, barium ions are the most efficient precipitant, and can increase the 80% boron removal to 98.5% at [H2O2]/[B] and [Ba]/[B] molar ratios of 2 and 1, respectively. The residual boron in the end water of COP contained 15ppm-B: this value cannot be achieved using conventional coagulation processes.

Topics: Boric Acids; Boron; Chemical Precipitation; Hydrogen Peroxide; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Metals; Salts; Temperature; Wastewater; Water Pollutants, Chemical

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumor with poor prognosis. Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) may provide an alternative therapy for HCC. This study investigated the therapeutic efficacy of boric acid (BA)-mediated BNCT for HCC in a rat model.. The pharmacokinetic and biodistribution of BA in N1S1 tumor-bearing rats were analyzed. Rats were injected with 25 mg B/kg body weight via tail veins before neutron irradiation at the Tsing Hua Open-pool Reactor, and the efficacy of BNCT was evaluated from the tumor size, tumor blood flow, and biochemical analyses.. HCC-bearing rats administered BNCT showed reductions in tumor size on ultrasound imaging, as well as an obvious reduction in the distribution of tumor blood flow. The lesion located in livers had disappeared on the 80th day after BNCT; a recovery of values to normal levels was also recorded.. BA-mediated BNCT is a promising alternative for liver cancer therapy since the present study demonstrated the feasibility of curing a liver tumor and restoring liver function in rats. Efforts are underway to investigate the histopathological features and the detailed mechanisms of BA-mediated BNCT.

Topics: Animals; Boric Acids; Boron; Boron Neutron Capture Therapy; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Disease Models, Animal; Liver; Liver Neoplasms; Male; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Tissue Distribution

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible oxidative stress and the antioxidant response, which were caused on maize by boron (B). For this, 11- and 15-day-old maize seedlings were subjected to 2 or 4 mM B in the form of boric acid (H₃BO₃) for 2 and/or 6 days. At the end of the treatment period, root length, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) content, malondialdehyde (MDA) content and the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POX) and catalase (CAT) were measured. The results revealed that root length of plants, activity of antioxidative enzymes such as SOD, POX and CAT and also H₂O₂ contents and MDA levels were seriously affected by excess B. These results suggested that the oxidative stress occurred due to the toxic effect of B.

Topics: Antioxidants; Boric Acids; Boron; Catalase; Hydrogen Peroxide; Malondialdehyde; Oxidative Stress; Peroxidase; Plant Roots; Seedlings; Superoxide Dismutase; Zea mays

A novel class of ionic liquids (ILs), exhibiting high selectivity towards boron species as well as the ability to phase separate from water, were synthesized from N-methyl-D-glucamine. The complexation of boric acid/borate with the ILs was confirmed using (11)B NMR.

Topics: Borates; Boric Acids; Boron; Ionic Liquids; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Meglumine; Water

Boron is an essential micronutrient for plants and is taken up in the form of boric acid (BA). Despite this, a high BA concentration is toxic for the plants, inhibiting root growth and is thus a significant problem in semi-arid areas in the world. In this work, we report the molecular basis for the inhibition of root growth caused by boron. We show that application of BA reduces the size of root meristems, correlating with the inhibition of root growth. The decrease in meristem size is caused by a reduction of cell division. Mitotic cell number significantly decreases and the expression level of key core cell cycle regulators is modulated. The modulation of the cell cycle does not appear to act through cytokinin and auxin signalling. A global expression analysis reveals that boron toxicity induces the expression of genes related with abscisic acid (ABA) signalling, ABA response and cell wall modifications, and represses genes that code for water transporters. These results suggest that boron toxicity produces a reduction of water and BA uptake, triggering a hydric stress response that produces root growth inhibition.

Topics: Abscisic Acid; Arabidopsis; Arabidopsis Proteins; Biological Transport; Boric Acids; Boron; Cell Wall; Dehydration; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Meristem; Mitosis; Mutation; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; Plant Growth Regulators; Plant Roots; Seedlings; Signal Transduction; Stress, Physiological; Water

Novel salicyl alcohol derivatives (H(2)X(n)sal), 5-bromo-, 3,5-dibromo-, and 3,5-diiodosalicyl alcohol which were abbreviated to H(2)Brsal, H(2)Br(2)sal, and H(2)I(2)sal, respectively, were synthesized and used for the selective extraction of boric acid. Boric acid was extracted with each H(2)X(n)sal into chlorobenzene containing trioctylmethylammonium chloride (TOMACl) as an ion-pair complex, TOMA·B(X(n)sal)(2), at a different pH range. The extraction constant (K(ex)) of boric acid was determined by the equilibrium analyses including the formation of hydrogen-bonded complex of each H(2)X(n)sal with TOMACl in the organic phase. The K(ex) values obtained by salicyl alcohol (H(2)sal) and its derivatives were decreased in the order of H(2)I(2)sal ≥ H(2)Br(2)sal > H(2)Brsal > H(2)sal. The most powerful extractant, H(2)I(2)sal, was employed for the substoichiometric extraction of boric acid, which was extracted at pH 5 - 9 with a substoichiometric amount of TOMACl in the presence of an excess of H(2)I(2)sal. The present substoichiometric separation method combined with the stable isotope dilution analysis using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) could be successfully applied to the determination of boron in a reference material of high-analysis compound fertilizer (FAMIC-A-08) without any correction as to the isotopic abundance.

Topics: Benzyl Alcohols; Boric Acids; Boron; Chlorobenzenes; Halogenation; Hydrogen Bonding; Mass Spectrometry; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; Reference Standards; Reproducibility of Results; Salts

A strain of Bacillus firmus (designated strain KC) isolated from a boron (B) mine in California exhibited extreme tolerance to B, provided it was first acclimated at intermediate B supply concentrations. Strain KC tolerated up to 1000 mmol/L B (boric acid-B) and 1800 mmol/L B (sodium tetraborate-B), and attained the greatest growth (as measured by absorbance) at 300 mmol/L B. Despite its extreme tolerance to high B, there was no evidence that it was able to remove significant quantities of B from the growth media, suggesting that strain KC is not likely to be useful for the removal of B from wastewaters in an engineered bioreactor.

Topics: Adaptation, Physiological; Bacillus; Base Sequence; Borates; Boric Acids; Boron; California; Hazardous Substances; Molecular Sequence Data

Boric acid and sodium borates have been considered as being "toxic to reproduction and development", following results of animal studies with high doses. Experimentally, a NOAEL (no observed adverse effect level) of 17.5 mg B/kg-bw/day has been identified for the (male) reproductive effects of boron in a multigeneration study of rats, and a NOAEL for the developmental effects in rats was identified at 9.6 mg B/kg-bw/day. These values are being taken as the basis of current EU safety assessments. The present study was conducted to investigate the reproductive effects of boron exposure in workers employed in boric acid production plant in Bandirma, Turkey. In order to characterize the external and internal boron exposures, boron was determined in biological samples (blood, urine, semen), in workplace air, in food, and in water sources. Unfavorable effects of boron exposure on the reproductive toxicity indicators (concentration, motility, morphology of the sperm cells and blood levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and total testosterone) were not observed. The mean calculated daily boron exposure (DBE) of the highly exposed group was 14.45 ± 6.57 (3.32-35.62) mg/day. These human exposures represent worst-case exposure conditions to boric acid/borates in Turkey. These exposure levels are considerably lower than exposures, which have previously led to reproductive effects in experimental animals. In conclusion, this means that dose levels of boron associated with developmental and reproductive toxic effects in animals are by far not reachable for humans under conditions of normal handling and use.

Topics: Adult; Air Pollutants, Occupational; Borates; Boric Acids; Boron; Chemical Industry; Dust; Environmental Pollutants; Food Contamination; Gonadotropins, Pituitary; Humans; Infertility, Male; Male; Middle Aged; Occupational Exposure; Prostate-Specific Antigen; Semen; Semen Analysis; Spermatozoa; Testosterone; Turkey; Water Pollution, Chemical; Young Adult

A novel boron adsorbent was fabricated by grafting a boric acid chelating group, i.e., N-methyl-D-glucamine, onto the hydrophilic silica-polyallylamine composites (SPC). The boron adsorbent was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and TGA method. The adsorption experiment indicated a maximum boron load capacity of ca. 1.55 mmol g(-1). The high load capacity was attributed to specific chemical affinity and physical adsorption. Highly effective removal of boric acid from aqueous solution was observed for the adsorbent even in the synthetic seawater containing high concentration of foreign ions. Analysis of adsorption thermodynamic and kinetics revealed a spontaneous sorption process that is driven by enthalpy change and limited by chemical reaction. The exhausted adsorbent was regenerated for repeated use by treating with 3% HCl solution, followed by neutralizing with 3% NH(3)·H(2)O at ambient temperature. Only 7% capacity loss was observed after five continuous adsorption-regeneration cycles.

Topics: Adsorption; Boric Acids; Boron; Meglumine; Polyamines; Silicon Dioxide; Water Pollutants, Chemical

Boron found as borates in soil, food, and water has important industrial and medical applications. A panel reviewing NTP reproductive toxicants identified boric acid as high priority for occupational studies to determine safe versus adverse reproductive effects. To address this, we collected boron exposure/dose measures in workplace inhalable dust, dietary food/fluids, blood, semen, and urine from boron workers and two comparison worker groups (n=192) over three months and determined correlations between boron and semen parameters (total sperm count, sperm concentration, motility, morphology, DNA breakage, apoptosis and aneuploidy). Blood boron averaged 499.2 ppb for boron workers, 96.1 and 47.9 ppb for workers from high and low environmental boron areas (p<0.0001). Boron concentrated in seminal fluid. No significant correlations were found between blood or urine boron and adverse semen parameters. Exposures did not reach those causing adverse effects published in animal toxicology work but exceeded those previously published for boron occupational groups.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Air Pollutants, Occupational; Apoptosis; Boric Acids; Boron; DNA; DNA Breaks; Environmental Monitoring; Humans; Inhalation Exposure; Male; Occupational Exposure; Semen; Sperm Motility; Spermatozoa; Young Adult

A fast, selective, and sensitive GC-MS method has been developed and validated for the determination of boric acid in the drinking water by derivatization with triethanolamine. This analytic strategy successfully converts the inorganic, nonvolatile boric acid B(OH)(3) present in the drinking water to a volatile triethanolamine borate B(OCH(2)CH(2))(3)N in a quantitative manner, which facilitates the GC measurement. The SIM mode was applied in the analysis and showed high accuracy, specificity, and reproducibility, as well as reducing the matrix effect effectively. The calibration curve was obtained from 0.01 microg/mL to 10.0 microg/mL with a satisfactory correlation coefficient of 0.9988. The limit of detection for boric acid was 0.04 microg/L. Then the method was applied for detection of the amount of boric acid in bottled drinking water and the results are in accordance with the reported concentration value of boric acid. This study offers a perspective into the utility of GC-MS as an alternate quantitative tool for detection of B(OH)(3), even for detection of boron in various other samples by digesting the boron compounds to boric acid.

Topics: Boric Acids; Boron; Ethanolamines; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Specimen Handling

A two-step process for boron recovery from clay waste is proposed in the present work. The leachate obtained after the clay waste was leached with sulphuric acid solution was treated with Diaion CRB-02 - a boron-specific resin for the separation of boron from the alkaline species in the leachate. The batch studies showed that a maximum boron recovery of about 95% was obtained at a pH value of 8.0, an initial boron concentration of 50 mg L(-1), a contact time of 24 h and a temperature of 25 degrees C. Equilibrium sorption data fitted the Langmuir isotherm. Column studies were carried out using different inlet boron concentrations and flow rates at a pH value of 8.0 and a temperature of 25 degrees C. The Yoon-Nelson and Thomas models were used to describe the dynamic behaviour of the column and to determine the column kinetic parameters. By these models and graphical integration, the column capacity values were found to be 7.3-8.5 mg g(-1) and 7.1-8.5 mg g(-1), respectively, and the 50% breakthrough time values were found to be 21-155 min and 19-149 min, respectively, depending on the inlet concentration and flow rate. It was observed that about 76% of the boron in the leachate solution could be recovered at an inlet boron concentration of 250 mg L(-1), a flow rate of 2.5 mL min(-1), a pH value of 8.0 and a temperature of 25 degrees C.

Topics: Adsorption; Aluminum Silicates; Boric Acids; Boron; Clay; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Resins, Synthetic; Temperature; Thermodynamics; Time Factors; Waste Disposal, Fluid; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Water Purification

Boron (B) is an essential element for plants, and B deficiency is a worldwide agricultural problem. In B-deficient areas, B is often supplied as fertilizer, but excess B can be toxic to both plants and animals. Generation of B deficiency-tolerant plants could reduce B fertilizer use. Improved fertility under B-limiting conditions in Arabidopsis thaliana by overexpression of BOR1, a B transporter, has been reported, but the root growth was not improved by the BOR1 overexpression. In this study, we report that enhanced expression of NIP5;1, a boric acid channel for efficient B uptake, resulted in improved root elongation under B-limiting conditions in A. thaliana. An NIP5;1 activation tag line, which has a T-DNA insertion with enhancer sequences near the NIP5;1 gene, showed improved root elongation under B limitation. We generated a construct which mimics the tag line: the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S RNA promoter was inserted at 1,357 bp upstream of the NIP5;1 transcription initiation site. Introduction of this construct into the nip5;1-1 mutant and the BOR1 overexpresser resulted in enhanced expression of NIP5;1 and improved root elongation under low B supply. Furthermore, one of the transgenic lines exhibited improved fertility and short-term B uptake. Our results demonstrate successful improvement of B deficiency tolerance and the potential of enhancing expression of a mineral nutrient channel gene to improve growth under nutrient-limiting conditions.

Topics: Aquaporins; Arabidopsis; Arabidopsis Proteins; Boric Acids; Boron; DNA, Bacterial; Enhancer Elements, Genetic; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Genes, Plant; Mutagenesis, Insertional; Plant Roots; Plants, Genetically Modified; Promoter Regions, Genetic

Hepatocellular carcinoma remains widely prevalent in tropical Africa and south-east Asia. At present, there are no effective treatments for hepatoma and its prognosis is extremely poor unless the tumor was diagnosed in an early stage and resected before metastasis. Therefore, boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) may provide an alternative therapy for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. In this study, the intracellular concentrations of L-boronophenylalanine (BPA), sodium borocaptate (BSH) and boric acid (BA) were examined in human hepatoma HepG2 and liver Clone 9 cell cultures. With the use of 25 microgB/mL media of BPA, BSH and BA, the intracellular uptake of boron in HepG2 and Clone 9 cells was compared. The suitability of BPA, BSH and BA were further evaluated on the basis of organ-specific boron distribution in normal rat tissues. BPA, BSH and BA were administered via intraperitoneal injection into rats with corresponding boron concentrations of 7, 25, and 25mg/kg body weight, respectively. The accumulation rates of BPA, BSH and BA in HepG2 cells were higher than that of Clone 9 cells. Boron concentration in BPA, BSH and BA treated HepG2 cells were 1.8, 1.5, and 1.6-fold of Clone 9 cells at 4h, respectively. In both HepG2 and Clone 9 cells, although the concentration of boron in BPA-treated cells exceeded that in BA-treated ones, however, cells treated with BPA had similar surviving fraction as those treated with BA after neutron irradiation. The accumulation ratios of boron in liver, pancreas and kidney to boron in blood were 0.83, 4.16 and 2.47, respectively, in BPA treated rats, and 0.75, 0.35 and 2.89, respectively, in BSH treated rats at 3h after treatment. However, boron does not appear to accumulate specifically in soft tissues in BA treated rats. For in situ BNCT of hepatoma, normal organs with high boron concentration and adjacent to liver may be damaged in neutron irradiation. BPA showed high retention in pancreas and may not be a good drug for BNCT of hepatoma. BSH had higher retention in liver but low level in pancreas and spleen appears to be a better candidate BNCT drug for hepatoma. These preliminary results provide useful information on future application of BNCT for hepatoma.

Topics: Animals; Boric Acids; Borohydrides; Boron; Boron Compounds; Boron Neutron Capture Therapy; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Survival; Clone Cells; Hepatocytes; Humans; Liver Neoplasms; Phenylalanine; Radiation-Sensitizing Agents; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Sulfhydryl Compounds; Tissue Distribution

Boron is a micronutrient in plants and animals, but its specific roles in cellular processes are not known. To understand boron transport and functions, we screened a yeast genomic DNA library for genes that confer resistance to the element in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Thirty boron-resistant transformants were isolated, and they all contained the ATR1 (YML116w) gene. Atr1 is a multidrug resistance transport protein belonging to the major facilitator superfamily. C-terminal green fluorescent protein-tagged Atr1 localized to the cell membrane and vacuole, and ATR1 gene expression was upregulated by boron and several stress conditions. We found that atr1Delta mutants were highly sensitive to boron treatment, whereas cells overexpressing ATR1 were boron resistant. In addition, atr1Delta cells accumulated boron, whereas ATR1-overexpressing cells had low intracellular levels of the element. Furthermore, atr1Delta cells showed stronger boron-dependent phenotypes than mutants deficient in genes previously reported to be implicated in boron metabolism. ATR1 is widely distributed in bacteria, archaea, and lower eukaryotes. Our data suggest that Atr1 functions as a boron efflux pump and is required for boron tolerance.

Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Biological Transport; Boric Acids; Boron; Gene Expression Profiling; Insecticides; Membrane Transport Proteins; Molecular Sequence Data; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; Phylogeny; Protein Isoforms; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; Sequence Alignment; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Stress, Physiological

This study investigated oxidative stress and the antioxidant response to boron (B) of chickpea cultivars differing in their tolerance to drought. Three-week-old chickpea seedlings were subjected to 0.05 (control), 1.6 or 6.4 mm B in the form of boric acid (H(3)BO(3)) for 7 days. At the end of the treatment period, shoot length, dry weight, chlorophyll fluorescence, B concentration, malondialdehyte content and the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POX), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione reductase (GR) were measured. The 1.6 mm B treatment did not cause significant changes in shoot length of cultivars, although shoot length increased in the drought-tolerant Gökce and decreased in the drought-sensitive Küsmen after 6.4 mm B treatment. Dry weights of both cultivars decreased with 6.4 mm B treatment. Chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm) did not change in Gökce at either B level. Nor did it change in Küsmen with 1.6 mm B but Fv/Fm decreased with 6.4 mm B. Boron concentration in the shoots of both cultivars increased significantly with increasing levels of applied B. Significant increases in total SOD activity were observed in shoots of both cultivars given 1.6 and 6.4 mm B. Shoot extracts exhibited five activity bands, two of which were identified as MnSOD and Cu/ZnSOD. In comparison to the control group, all enzyme activities (except APX and SOD) decreased with 1.6 mm B stress. GR activity decreased, while activities of CAT, POX and APX did not change with 6.4 mm B in Küsmen. On the other hand, activities of CAT, APX and SOD increased in Gökce at both B levels. In addition, lipid peroxidation was higher in Küsmen than in Gökce, indicating more damage by B to membrane lipids in the former cultivar. These results suggest that (i) Gökce is tolerant and Küsmen is sensitive to B, and (ii) B tolerance of Gökce might be closely related to increased capacity of the antioxidative system (total SOD, CAT and APX) to scavenge reactive oxygen species and thus suppress lipid peroxidation under B stress. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the antioxidant response of chickpea seedlings to B toxicity.

Topics: Antioxidants; Ascorbate Peroxidases; Biological Transport; Boric Acids; Boron; Catalase; Chlorophyll; Cicer; Dehydration; Glutathione Reductase; Lipid Peroxidation; Oxidative Stress; Peroxidase; Peroxidases; Photosynthesis; Plant Proteins; Plant Shoots; Superoxide Dismutase

Boron isotopic fractionation factor (S) between boron taken up in strongly basic anion exchange resin and boron in aqueous solution was determined by breakthrough column chromatography at 5 and 17 MPa at 25 degrees C, using 0.1 mM boric acid solution as feed solution. The S values obtained were 1.018 and 1.012, respectively, which were smaller than the value reported by using the same chromatographic method at the atmospheric pressure at 25 degrees C with the boron concentration of 10mM, but were larger than the values under the same condition with much higher concentration of 100 and 501 mM. Calculations based on the theory of isotope distribution between two phases estimated that 21% (5 MPa) and 47% (17 MPa) of boron taken up in the resin phase was in the three-coordinated B(OH)(3)-form, instead of in the four-coordinated B(OH)(4)-form, at high pressures even with a very diluted boric acid solution. We discussed the present results by introducing (1) hydration and (2) a partial molar volume difference between isotopic molecules. Borate may have been partially dehydrated upon transfer from the solution phase to the resin phase at high pressures, which resulted in smaller S values compared with those at the atmospheric pressure. Instead, it may be possible that the difference in the isotopic partial molar volume difference between B(OH)(3) and B(OH)(4)(-) caused the S value to decrease with increasing pressure.

Topics: Boric Acids; Boron; Chemical Fractionation; Chromatography, Ion Exchange; Isotopes; Pressure

A new test method for boric acid in agar was developed. After digestion with nitric acid, the concentration of boron was measured by ICP-AES or ICP-MS with internal standards. Collaborative studies involving 5 laboratories were conducted to evaluate the new method by using a finely powdered agar sample and a standard sample (NIST SRM SRM1570a). The repeatability and reproducibility were very good. Moreover, HORRAT(R) values were less than 2. Therefore, it was considered that the new method is acceptable for the determination of boric acid in agar.

Topics: Agar; Boric Acids; Boron; Mass Spectrometry; Spectrophotometry, Atomic

ESR response to gamma-irradiation (1-50 Gy) of blends containing alanine and either B(OH)(3) or Gd(2)O(3) is reported. The sensitivity of the alanine--B(OH)(3) blend is comparable to the sensitivity of pure alanine, although its lowest detectable dose, LDD, is smaller ( approximately 1.3 Gy) than that of pure alanine ( approximately 2.9 Gy). Alanine with Gd(2)O(3) is about two times more sensitive than pure alanine, and its LDD is 0.8 Gy. The better sensitivity and LDD are probably due to the high atomic number (Z=64) of gadolinium, which enhances the interaction probability with photons and, consequently, the radical yield. This study suggests that other high-Z atoms may be useful for increasing the sensitivity of the response of alanine to gamma-radiation.

Topics: Alanine; Boric Acids; Boron; Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; Gadolinium; Gamma Rays; Isotopes; Radiometry

To determine: (1) the correlation of prostate cancer incidence and mortality with groundwater boron and selenium concentrations; and (2) the impact of boron on prostate cancer cell proliferation during co-treatment with alternative chemo-preventative agents, along with boron pre-treatment effects on cell sensitivity to ionizing radiation.. For regression analysis, data on prostate cancer incidence and mortality were obtained from the Texas Cancer Registry, while groundwater boron and selenium concentrations were derived from the Texas Water Development Board. Cultured DU-145 prostate cancer cells were used to assess the impact of boric acid on cell proliferation when applied in combination with selenomethionine and genistein, or preceding radiation exposure.. Groundwater boron levels correlated with a decrease in prostate cancer incidence (R = 0.6) and mortality (R = 0.6) in state planning regions, whereas selenium did not (R = 0.1; R = 0.2). Growth inhibition was greater during combined treatments of boric acid and selenomethionine, or boric acid and genistein, versus singular treatments. 8-day boric acid pre-exposure enhanced the toxicity of ionizing radiation treatment, while dose-dependently decreasing the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2.. Increased groundwater boron concentrations, across the state of Texas, correlate with reduced risk of prostate cancer incidence and mortality. Also, boric acid improves the anti-proliferative effectiveness of chemo-preventative agents, selenomethionine and genistein, while enhancing ionizing radiation cell kill.

Topics: Anticarcinogenic Agents; Boric Acids; Boron; Cell Proliferation; Environment; Genistein; Humans; Male; Prostatic Neoplasms; Radiation, Ionizing; Regression Analysis; Risk Factors; Selenomethionine; Texas; Tumor Cells, Cultured; United States; Water

Reduced crop productivity due to soils containing toxic levels of boron (B) is a worldwide problem in food production. It is estimated that up to 17% of the barley yield losses in southern Australia are caused by B toxicity. We found that the expression of AtBOR4, an Arabidopsis paralog of BOR1, the first identified boron transporter gene, generates plants that are tolerant of high B levels. BOR4 is a polarly localized borate exporter that enhances B efflux from roots. The present study is a foundation for the improvement of crop productivity in soils containing excess B, which are distributed in arid areas of the world.

Topics: Antiporters; Arabidopsis; Arabidopsis Proteins; Boric Acids; Boron; Cell Membrane; Genes, Plant; Plant Epidermis; Plant Roots; Plants, Genetically Modified; Recombinant Fusion Proteins; Soil

Boron (B) is essential in plants but often present at low concentrations in the environment. To investigate how plants survive under conditions of B limitation, we conducted a transcriptome analysis and identified NIP5;1, a member of the major intrinsic protein family, as a gene upregulated in B-deficient roots of Arabidopsis thaliana. Promoter-beta-glucuronidase fusions indicated that NIP5;1 is strongly upregulated in the root elongation zone and the root hair zone under B limitation, and green fluorescent protein-tagged NIP5;1 proteins localized to the plasma membrane. Expression in Xenopus laevis oocytes demonstrated that NIP5;1 facilitated the transport of boric acid in addition to water. Importantly, two T-DNA insertion lines of NIP5;1 displayed lower boric acid uptake into roots, lower biomass production, and increased sensitivity of root and shoot development to B deficiency. These results identify NIP5;1 as a major plasma membrane boric acid channel crucial for the B uptake required for plant growth and development under B limitation.

Topics: Animals; Aquaporins; Arabidopsis; Arabidopsis Proteins; Biological Transport; Boric Acids; Boron; Cell Membrane; DNA, Bacterial; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Mutagenesis, Insertional; Mutation; Oocytes; Plant Roots; Protoplasts; Up-Regulation; Water; Xenopus

The roles of three membrane proteins, BOR1, DUR3, and FPS1, in boron (B) transport in yeast were examined. The boron concentration in yeast cells lacking BOR1 was elevated upon exposure to 90 mM boric acid, whereas cells lacking DUR3 or FPS1 showed lower boron concentrations. Compared with control cells, cells overexpressing BOR1 or FPS1 had a lower boron concentration, and cells overexpressing DUR3 had a higher boron concentration. These results suggest that, in addition to the efflux boron transporter BOR1, DUR3 and FPS1 play important roles in regulating the cellular boron concentration. Analysis of the yeast transformants for tolerance to a high boric acid concentration revealed an apparent negative correlation between the protoplasmic boron concentration and the degree of tolerance to a high external boron concentration. Thus, BOR1, DUR3, and FPS1 appear to be involved in tolerance to boric acid and the maintenance of the protoplasmic boron concentration.

Topics: Anion Exchange Protein 1, Erythrocyte; Biological Transport; Boric Acids; Boron; Cytoplasm; Drug Tolerance; Membrane Proteins; Membrane Transport Proteins; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Molecular Sequence Data; Mutation; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; Symporters

It is well known that boric acid exhibits various toxic effects on plant, animal and human beings even at very low concentrations. Thus, the development of boron-removal technique from wastewater has been intensively investigated. In this study, a new hydrothermal treatment technique was developed to recover boron as recyclable precipitate Ca(2)B(2)O(5).H(2)O from aqueous solutions. As a result, it was found that the hydrothermal treatment using calcium hydroxide as a mineralizer converted boron in the aqueous media effectively into calcium borate, Ca(2)B(2)O(5).H(2)O. In the optimal hydrothermal condition, more than 99% of boron was collected from the synthetic wastewater of 500 ppm. Thus, the present hydrothermal treatment in the presence of calcium hydroxide is recommended as one of the effective techniques to recover boron from aqueous media.

Topics: Borates; Boric Acids; Boron; Calcium Compounds; Calcium Hydroxide; Calcium Phosphates; Chemical Precipitation; Hot Temperature; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Minerals; Waste Disposal, Fluid; Water Pollutants, Chemical

It has been shown in preliminary studies that the antibacterial protein avidin self-associates with the boric acid gel polymer, and avidin-coated gel particles in the micrometer and submicrometer size ranges are of interest for boron neutron-capture therapy (BNCT), which is neutron-induced fission of boron-10 to produce intense alpha radiation for tumor destruction. The gel particles carry large amounts of boron-10 and are theoretically able effect a meaningful tissue dosing through BNCT. A gross precipitation of gel particles occurs within 46 min of mixing when the avidin/colloid ratio is about 0.34 g avidin/g colloid. This is a minimum time if gel and avidin concentrations are in the low microgram/milliliter range, but at higher proportions of avidin the time delay to precipitation increases significantly; i.e., the colloid surface becomes blocked, inhibiting lattice formation. The avidin-coated gel particles eventually cross-link, forming a solid matrix and precipitating on a timescale measured on the order of an hour. At shorter exposure times rapid agglutination-like reactions were observed with biotinylated bovine albumin, suggesting that two-stage pretargeting of specific tissues should be possible with biotinylated antitumor antibodies. However, for BNCT to be practical, avidin's interaction with the gel needs to be strengthened, and all aryl-B(OH)(2) groups on the particle surfaces must be blocked, or else the particles will interact strongly and nonspecifically with each other and with the carbohydrate groups present on most cell surfaces. Glyceric acid delays the precipitation of the particle suspensions while most simple and complex carbohydrates accelerate it.

Topics: Albumins; Animals; Avidin; Biotinylation; Boric Acids; Boron; Boron Neutron Capture Therapy; Cattle; Gels; Glyceric Acids; Microscopy, Electron; Models, Chemical; Protein Binding; Time Factors

Boron (B)-deficient pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata Duchesne) plants exhibit reduced growth, and their tissues are brittle. The leaf cell walls of these plants contain less than one-half the amount of borate cross-linked rhamnogalacturonan II (RG-II) dimer than normal plants. Supplying germanium (Ge), which has been reported to substitute for B, to B-deficient plants does not restore growth or reduce tissue brittleness. Nevertheless, the leaf cell walls of the Ge-treated plants accumulated considerable amounts of Ge. Dimeric RG-II (dRG-II) accounted for between 20% and 35% of the total RG-II in the cell walls of the second to fourth leaves from Ge-treated plants, but only 2% to 7% of the RG-II was cross-linked by germanate (dRG-II-Ge). The ability of RG-II to form a dimer is not reduced by Ge treatment because approximately 95% of the monomeric RG-II generated from the walls of Ge-treated plants is converted to dRG-II-Ge in vitro in the presence of germanium oxide and lead acetate. However, dRG-II-Ge is unstable and is converted to monomeric RG-II when the Ge is removed. Therefore, the content of dRG-II-Ge and dRG-II-B described above may not reflect the actual ratio of these in muro. (10)B-Enriched boric acid and Ge are incorporated into the cell wall within 10 min after their foliar application to B-deficient plants. Foliar application of (10)B but not Ge results in an increase in the proportion of dRG-II in the leaf cell wall. Taken together, our results suggest that Ge does not restore the growth of B-deficient plants.

Topics: Boric Acids; Boron; Cell Wall; Cucurbita; Germanium; Pectins; Plant Leaves

It has been shown that boric acid has well-defined biological effects such as stimulation of wound healing in vivo, release of growth factors and cytokines, and increase of the extracellular matrice turnover. We examined its action at the molecular level, using cell-free systems of transcription (isolated placenta nuclei) and translation (wheat germ extract). We found that 10 mM boric acid greatly increased RNA synthesis, measured by absorbance at 260 nm (x 6.4) or by [3H]-UTP uptake (x 11). Full-length functional mRNA was produced because proteins of 14-80 kDa were translated. Among these proteins, factors involved in angiogenesis and, subsequently, in wound healing (VEGF and TGFbeta) were identified by slot blot, whereas growth factors such as FGF1 and TNFalpha were not detected. These results demonstrate that boron may contribute to biological cell activities at both the transcription and translation levels. However, the mechanism of action is still not known.

Topics: Autoradiography; Boric Acids; Boron; Cell Nucleus; Cell-Free System; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Female; Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Immunoblotting; In Vitro Techniques; Placenta; Pregnancy; Protein Biosynthesis; RNA, Messenger; Stimulation, Chemical; Transcription, Genetic; Triticum

Boric acid (H(3)BO(3)) has been shown to cause developmental abnormalities in the offspring of pregnant rats. Comparative data on the renal clearance of boron (B) in rats and humans, both pregnant and nonpregnant, exposed to boric acid (BA) would reduce uncertainty in interspecies extrapolation from rats to humans. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of pregnancy on the plasma half-life and renal clearance of boron in Sprague-Dawley rats given a single oral dose of boric acid. For the half-life study, nonpregnant and pregnant (gestation day 16) rats were given a single dose of 30 mg/kg of boric acid by gavage, and plasma samples were collected at 2-3 h intervals. The plasma half-life of boron was determined to be 2.9 +/- 0.2 and 3.2 +/- 0.3 h in nonpregnant and pregnant rats, respectively. In the clearance study, nonpregnant and pregnant (GD 16) rats were given a single gavage dose of 0.3, 3, or 30 mg/kg of boric acid. Boron clearance was slightly higher in pregnant rats (3.3 +/- 0.6, 3.2 +/- 0.5, and 3.4 +/- 0.5 ml/min/kg, respectively) compared to nonpregnant rats (3.1 +/- 0.8, 3.0 +/- 0.6, and 3.2 +/- 0.5 ml/min/kg, respectively), but the difference was not statistically significant and not dose-related. Boron clearance was less than creatinine clearance, suggesting tubular reabsorption in both groups. In conclusion, pregnancy did not appear to significantly alter the renal clearance or the plasma half-life of boron in Sprague-Dawley rats under the conditions of this study.

Topics: Administration, Oral; Animals; Area Under Curve; Boric Acids; Boron; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Half-Life; Kidney; Metabolic Clearance Rate; Pregnancy; Pregnancy, Animal; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Urea

From the large data set available on the toxicity of boron to aquatic organisms, the toxicity of boron to the early life stages of rainbow trout (Oncorhyncus mykiss) is the seminal issue relative to setting water quality criteria and effluent standards. Issues associated with the early life stage studies are the flat concentration-response curve, the low threshold of toxicity, and teratogenic effects observed. Recent laboratory and field studies offer new experimental data that make a weight-of-the-evidence assessment timely. In a re-examination of the effect of boron on the embryo-larval stage in rainbow trout and zebrafish, adverse effects due to boron deficiency are observed which decrease with increasing dose. It was found that low concentrations of boron stimulate embryonic growth in rainbow trout and increase the viability and survival of embryonic zebrafish. As boron concentration is further increased, the dose-response curve becomes flat as homeostatic processes are active; this is followed at higher doses by a new adverse response that increases with increasing dose. As a result, the dose-response relationship is U shaped, consistent with the characteristic shape of an essential micronutrient. Thus, effects originally reported to be toxicity at low exposures rather may be due to boron deficiency. Water analyses in trout hatcheries and field studies in wild trout streams add additional information on the toxicity of boron to trout. Of particular note is a controlled field study carried out in the Firehole River in Yellowstone Park (WY, USA), where trout populations survive and reproduction successfully occurs in natural water containing boron concentrations up to and in some cases greater than 1.0 mg B/L. Teratogenic effects due to boron exposure were not observed in any of these more recent studies.

Topics: Animals; Bass; Borates; Boric Acids; Boron; Bufonidae; Death; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Embryo, Nonmammalian; Goldfish; Ictaluridae; Larva; Male; Oncorhynchus mykiss; Rana pipiens; Sensitivity and Specificity; Species Specificity; Water Pollutants, Chemical

Boron-11 nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy have been used to characterise the nature and distribution of boron compounds after preservative treatment of radiata pine wood with trimethylborate (TMB). One day after treatment, 11B magnetic resonance imaging microscopy showed significant differences in the morphological distribution of boron species, with there apparently being no treatment penetration of the latewood. 11B MAS NMR spectroscopy of freshly preservative-treated radiata pine wood, which had been separated into latewood and earlywood, showed the only boron species present in the latewood to be boric acid while in the earlywood both TMB and boric acid were initially present. Due to quadrupolar broadening and a short T2 value, the boric acid signal relaxed too quickly to be observable and this caused the apparent lack of 11B in the image when only boric acid was present. TMB undergoes hydrolysis to form boric acid and in radiata pine latewood, this hydrolysis reaction is rapid.

Topics: Borates; Boric Acids; Boron; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Wood

Literature from the first half of this century reports concern for toxicity from topical use of boric acid, but assessment of percutaneous absorption has been impaired by lack of analytical sensitivity. Analytical methods in this study included inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, which now allows quantitation of percutaneous absorption of 10B in 10B-enriched boric acid, borax, and disodium octaborate tetrahydrate (DOT) in biological matrices. This made it possible, in the presence of comparatively large natural dietary boron intakes for the in vivo segment of this study, to quantify the boron passing through skin. Human volunteers were dosed with 10B-enriched boric acid, 5.0%, borax, 5.0%, or disodium octaborate tetrahydrate, 10% in aqueous solutions. Urinalysis, for boron and changes in boron isotope ratios, was used to measure absorption. Boric acid in vivo percutaneous absorption was 0.226 (SD = 0.125) mean percent dose, with flux and permeability constant (Kp) calculated at 0.009 microg/cm2/h and 1.9 x 10(-7) cm/h, respectively. Borax absorption was 0.210 (SD = 0.194) mean percent dose, with flux and Kp calculated at 0.009 microg/cm2/h and 1.8 x 10(-7) cm/h, respectively. DOT absorption was 0.122 (SD = 0.108) mean percent, with flux and Kp calculated at 0.01 microg/cm2/h and 1.0 x 10(-7) cm/h, respectively. Pretreatment with the potential skin irritant 2% sodium lauryl sulfate had no effect on boron skin absorption. These in vivo results show that percutaneous absorption of boron, as boric acid, borax, and disodium octaborate tetrahydrate, through intact human skin is low and is significantly less than the average daily dietary intake. This very low boron skin absorption makes it apparent that, for the borates tested, the use of gloves to prevent systemic uptake is unnecessary. These findings do not apply to abraded or otherwise damaged skin.

Topics: Administration, Topical; Adult; Borates; Boric Acids; Boron; Female; Humans; Insecticides; Isotopes; Male; Mass Spectrometry; Middle Aged; Skin Absorption

Literature from the first half of this century reports concern for toxicity from topical use of boric acid, but assessment of percutaneous absorption has been impaired by lack of analytical sensitivity. Analytical methods in this study included inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry which now allows quantitation of percutaneous absorption of 10B in 10B-enriched boric acid, borax and disodium octaborate tetrahydrate (DOT) in biological matrices. In vitro human skin percent doses of boric acid absorbed were 1.2 for a 0.05% solution, 0.28 for a 0.5% solution, and 0.70 for a 5.0% solution. These absorption amounts translated into flux values of, respectively, 0.25, 0.58, and 14.58 microg/cm2/h, and permeability constants (Kp) of 5.0 x 10(-4), 1.2 x 10(-4), and 2.9 x 10(-4) cm/h for the 0.05%, 0.5%, and 5.0% solutions. The above in vitro doses were at infinite, 1000 microL/cm2 volume. At 2 microL/cm2 (the in vivo dosing volume), flux decreased some 200-fold to 0.07 microg/cm2/h and Kp of 1.4 x 10(-6) cm/h, while percent dose absorbed was 1.75%. Borax dosed at 5.0%/1000 microL/cm2 had 0.41 percent dose absorbed, flux at 8.5 microg/cm2/h, and Kp was 1.7 x 10(-4) cm/h. Disodium octaborate tetrahydrate (DOT) dosed at 10%/1000 microL/cm2 was 0.19 percent dose absorbed, flux at 7.9 microg/cm2/h, and Kp was 0.8 x 10(-4) cm/h. These in vitro results from infinite doses (1000 microL/cm2) were a 1000-fold greater than those obtained in the companion in vivo study. The results from the finite (2 microL/cm2) dosing were closer (10-fold difference) to the in vivo results. General application of infinite dose percutaneous absorption values for risk assessment is questioned by these results.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Analysis of Variance; Borates; Boric Acids; Boron; Diffusion Chambers, Culture; Female; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Insecticides; Isotopes; Male; Mass Spectrometry; Middle Aged; Sensitivity and Specificity; Skin Absorption

CHO cells were exposed to thermal neutrons and their mutation frequency was determined. The Kyoto University Research Reactor (KUR), which has a very low level of contamination by gamma-rays and fast neutrons was used as a thermal neutron source. Cells were irradiated in the presence or absence of boric acid to determine mutation frequency and cell survival. Thermal neutron irradiation was 2.5 times as mutagenic as gamma-irradiation without boron. In the presence of boron, however, thermal neutron irradiation was from 4.2 to 4.5 times as mutagenic as gamma-irradiation. When the mutation frequency was plotted against the survival fraction, a higher degree of mutagenicity was observed in the presence than in the absence of boron. These results suggest that the enhancement of thermal neutron-induced mutation with boron is strongly associated with alpha-particles released by 10B(n, alpha)7 Li reaction.

Topics: Animals; Boric Acids; Boron; Cell Survival; CHO Cells; Cricetinae; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Gamma Rays; Hypoxanthine Phosphoribosyltransferase; Mutation; Neutrons

The short (< 10 microns) ranges of alpha and 7Li particles produced during boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) make the partitioning of the boronated drug within and without the cell of critical importance. The evaluation of the potential usefulness of a boron-containing substance for BNCT requires information about its intracellular accumulation. In the present report, an in vitro method is described for direct measurement of intracellular boron based on rapid centrifugation of cells through a layer of mineral oil and silicon oil to strip away extracellular growth medium. The intracellular concentrations of boronophenylalanine (BPA), mercaptoborane (BSH) and horic acid in malignant cells and in normal cells have been compared. The accumulation ratio is defined as the ratio of the intracellular to the extracellular boron concentration. Boric acid showed an accumulation ratio of 1 while the ratios for BSH and BPA were dependent on cell type and tended to be greater for BPA than for BSH in malignant but not in normal cells.

Topics: Animals; Boric Acids; Boron; Boron Compounds; Boron Neutron Capture Therapy; Humans; Mice; Phenylalanine; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Elemental boron was isolated in 1808. It typically occurs in nature as borates hydrated with varying amounts of water. Important compounds are boric acid and borax. Boron compounds are also used in the production of metals, enamels, and glasses. In trace amounts, boron is essential for the growth of many plants, and is found in animal and human tissues at low concentrations. Poisoning in humans has been reported as the result of accidental ingestion or use of large amounts in the treatment of burns. Boron as boric acid is fairly rapidly absorbed and excreted from the body via urine. The half-life of boric acid in humans is on the order of 1 day. Boron does not appear to accumulate in soft tissues of animals, but does accumulate in bone. Normal levels of boron in soft tissues, urine, and blood generally range from less than 0.05 ppm to no more than 10 ppm. In poisoning incidents, the amount of boric acid in brain and liver tissue has been reported to be as high as 2000 ppm. Recent studies at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences have indicated that boron may contribute to reduced fertility in male rodents fed 9000 ppm of boric acid in feed. Within a few days, boron levels in blood and most soft tissues quickly reached a plateau of about 15 ppm. Boron in bone did not appear to plateau, reaching 47 ppm after 7 days on the diet. Cessation of exposure to dietary boron resulted in a rapid drop in bone boron.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Topics: Animals; Bone Density; Boric Acids; Boron; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Humans; Male; Nutritional Requirements; Nutritive Value; Rats; Spermatogenesis; Testis; Tissue Distribution

Previous studies on the reproductive toxicity of boric acid have indicated that male rodents suffer testicular atrophy after treatment. There were, however, no studies of the potential effects on female fertility or on the neonate. In addition, no study described the development of the testicular lesion, thought to be related to the mechanism of toxicity. A Reproductive Assessment by Continuous Breeding (RACB) study using mice exposed to boric acid at 1000, 4500, and 9000 ppm in the diet indicated that there are probably multiple sites of action, although male fertility appears very sensitive. Possible effects on female fertility cannot be separated from potential developmental toxicity and need additional investigation. Decrements in sperm motility were observed at all exposure levels, and testicular atrophy was confirmed in high- and middle-dose-group males. This was investigated further by timed serial-sacrifice studies using 9000 ppm in the diet of rats, which found that the first lesion seen in the testis was an inhibition of spermiation (release of mature spermatids). With continued dosing, this was followed by a disorganization of the normal ordered layering of the seminiferous epithelium, germ cell sloughing and death, and finally, atrophy. Subsequent studies using additional doses (2000, 3000, 4500, 6000, and 9000 ppm) found that it was possible to observe inhibited spermiation that did not progress to atrophy (4500 ppm and below) within the 9-week exposure period.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Topics: Animals; Atrophy; Boric Acids; Boron; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Fertility; Litter Size; Male; Mice; Pregnancy; Reproduction; Spermatogenesis; Testis

High-dose boric acid (BA) exposure produces testicular lesions in adult rats characterized by inhibited spermiation (IS) that may progress to atrophy. In vivo and in vitro studies addressed possible mechanisms. In vivo, boron tissue disposition was examined, since no detailed data existed, and relevant boron concentrations for in vitro studies needed to be set. Since BA induces riboflavinuria and also affects calcium/phosphorus homeostasis, and testis zinc appears essential for normal testis function, we examined BA effects on flavin status and testis levels of phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca) and zinc (Zn). Data showed that the testicular toxicity and central nervous system (CNS) hormonal effect were not due to selective boron accumulation in testis or brain/hypothalamus, with testis boron concentrations at approximately 1 to 2 mM; that riboflavin deficiency is not involved, due to both the absence of overt signs of deficiency and effects on tissue flavin content during BA exposure; and that changes in testis P, Ca and Zn levels did not precede atrophy, and are therefore unlikely to be mechanistically relevant. In vitro studies addressed the hallmarks of the BA testicular toxicity: the mild hormone effect, the initial IS, and atrophy. No effect of BA on the steroidogenic function of isolated Leydig cells was observed, supporting the contention of a CNS-mediated rather than a direct hormone effect. Since increased testicular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) produces IS, and a role for the serine proteases plasminogen activators (PAs) in spermiation has been proposed, we examined in vitro BA effects on both Sertoli cell cAMP accumulation and PA activity, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Topics: Animals; Atrophy; Boric Acids; Boron; Cells, Cultured; Cyclic AMP; DNA Replication; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Male; Rats; Spermatogenesis; Testis; Testosterone; Tissue Distribution; Trace Elements

Plasma membrane electron transport reactions and associated proton secretion were studied in boron-deficient carrot cells. It was found that the hormone-sensitive plasma membrane NADH oxidase was inhibited by boron deficiency and that under such conditions activity could be restored by exogenous boric acid with or without 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid. Gramicidin, a channel-forming protonophore, further stimulated NADH oxidase by carrot cells. Proton secretion, associated with plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase, was also affected by boron deficiency, but not as severely as ferricyanide-generated proton secretion, reflecting plasma membrane electron transport. The addition of 1 mM boric acid and 1 microM 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid to carrot cells fully restored the H+ secretion in presence of ferricyanide. The effect of boron deficiency in cultured carrot cells can, therefore, be directly associated with cell growth through its effect on the plasma membrane NADH oxidase and H+ secretion. Ferricyanide provides a probe which activates transmembrane electron transport that is only coupled to proton release when boron is present.

Topics: 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid; Boric Acids; Boron; Cell Membrane; Cells, Cultured; Electron Transport; Ferricyanides; Gramicidin; Multienzyme Complexes; NADH, NADPH Oxidoreductases; Proton-Translocating ATPases; Protons; Vegetables

A 45-year-old white man ingested approximately two cups of boric acid crystals dissolved in water in a suicide attempt. Nausea, vomiting, greenish diarrhea, and dehydration occurred shortly thereafter. Two days later, he presented to the hospital with hypotension, metabolic acidosis, oliguric renal failure, a generalized erythematous rash, and several superficial skin abrasions. His condition failed to improve despite intravenous fluids and vasopressors. He later developed atrial fibrillation with a rapid ventricular response and could not be converted to a sinus rhythm. This rhythm deteriorated to electromechanical dissociation, and the patient died 17 hours after admission. The urine and whole blood boric acid concentrations approximately 52 hours after ingestion were 160 and 42 mg/dL, respectively. These results are equivalent to urine and blood boron concentrations of 28 and 7 mg/dL, respectively. A postmortem urine boron concentration was 29.4 mg/dL. The autopsy report listed boron toxicity as the cause of death. This is the only adult reported to die from acute boric acid ingestion in recent years and may be atypical since the patient was untreated for 3 days and presented with dehydration and renal function impairment. This case suggests that lack of adequate urine flow and dehydration increases the risk of boron toxicity.

Topics: Boric Acids; Boron; Dehydration; Hospitalization; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Poisoning; Renal Insufficiency; Suicide, Attempted; Time Factors

Low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) are known to be internalized by the cell through receptor-mediated mechanisms. There is evidence that LDLs may be taken up avidly by tumor cells to provide cholesterol for the synthesis of cell membranes. Thus, the possibility exists that LDLs may provide an ideal vehicle for the transport of boron to tumor cells for boron neutron capture therapy. A boronated analogue of LDL has recently been synthesized for possible application in boron neutron capture therapy. The analogue was tested in cell culture for uptake and biological efficacy in the thermal neutron beam at the Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor. It was found that boron concentrations 10 times higher than that required in tumors for boron neutron capture therapy were easily obtained and that the amount of uptake was consistent with a receptor-mediated binding mechanism. The measured intracellular concentration of approximately 240 micrograms 10B/g cells is significantly higher than that obtained with any other boron compound previously evaluated for possible clinical application.

Topics: Animals; Boric Acids; Boron; Cell Line; Lipoproteins, LDL; Neutrons; Pharmaceutical Vehicles

Boric acid (H3BO3), an inorganic acid with widespread commercial use and consumer exposure, impairs fertility in male rodents at dose levels lower than those required to cause other adverse effects. Previous studies found a testicular lesion in adult Fischer rats fed 9000 ppm boric acid (1575 ppm boron) and slightly reduced basal serum testosterone levels. A CNS-mediated hormonal component to this lesion was suggested. Detailed data on the tissue disposition of boron in the rat, including accessory sex organs and the brain, are lacking. This study examined the tissue disposition of boron in reproductive, accessory sex organs, and other selected tissues in adult male Fischer rats fed 9000 ppm boric acid to determine if selective accumulation of boron in reproductive tissues, accessory sex organs, and/or the brain might correlate with and explain the apparent selective testicular toxicity. Adult male Fischer rats were fed 9000 ppm boric acid for up to 7 days. Animals were killed at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7 days after the start of exposure. Plasma and excised tissues were heat-digested in acid and analyzed for boron by inductively coupled argon plasma emission spectrometry (ICAP). With the exception of adrenal glands, control boron levels in all tissues examined were below 4 micrograms/g. There was a rapid increase in plasma and tissue boron 1 day after the start of exposure (range 2- to 20-fold), with the exception of adipose tissue. With the exception of bone and adipose tissue, all soft tissues examined, including the testis, epididymis, accessory sex organs, hypothalamus, and rest of brain, appeared to reach steady-state boron levels (range 12-30 micrograms/g) by 3-4 days. Bone boron levels continued to increase up to the termination at 7 days (40-50 micrograms/g by Day 7). Bone attained the greatest concentration of boron (2- to 3-fold over plasma levels) while levels in adipose tissue were 20% of plasma levels during the 7-day exposure period. All other tissues appeared to show no appreciable accumulation of boron over plasma levels. The data suggest that neither the apparent selective testicular toxicity nor the slight CNS hormonal effect associated with boric acid exposure can be explained on the basis of selective accumulation of boron in the testis or brain/hypothalamus, respectively. Thus, the testicular toxicity is likely the result of certain biological processes that are unique to the testis and which are targets of boron exposure.

Topics: Animals; Boric Acids; Boron; Brain; Epididymis; Genital Diseases, Male; Hypothalamus; Male; Prostate; Rats; Rats, Inbred F344; Seminal Vesicles; Testis; Tissue Distribution

Boric acid is an inorganic acid that impairs fertility in male rodents. A reproductive assessment by continuous breeding study found that male rats treated with boric acid had decreased fertility and sperm motility. In order to determine the cell type that is first affected by boric acid, we have examined the development of the boric acid-induced testicular lesion by light and electron microscopy. Adult F344 male rats were fed 9000 ppm boric acid in NIH-07 rat chow for up to 4 weeks. The first testicular lesion noted was an inhibition of spermiation, which appeared by Day 7. Widespread exfoliation of apparently viable germ cells, and pachytene cell death in stages VII and XIV, appeared as exposure continued. After 28 days of dosing, extreme epithelial disorganization and germ cell loss were evident. To determine if there was a hormonal component to the boric acid-induced testicular lesion, serum levels of basal, hCG-, and LHRH-stimulated testosterone levels were measured. After 4 days of dosing, basal testosterone levels were lower than controls and remained low during dosing. However, serum testosterone levels were similar in both boric acid-treated and control animals after either hCG or LHRH challenge. To determine if boron was preferentially accumulated by the testis, boron levels in testis, epididymis, liver, kidney, and blood were measured. Boron levels had effectively reached steady-state levels by Day 4 and were not differentially concentrated in the tissues examined. Thus, these studies characterize the testicular lesion produced by boric acid exposure and identify a decrease in basal serum testosterone levels in the absence of selective accumulation of boron in the testis.

Topics: Androgen-Binding Protein; Animals; Body Weight; Boric Acids; Boron; Leydig Cells; Male; Microscopy, Electron; Rats; Rats, Inbred F344; Sertoli Cells; Testicular Neoplasms; Testis; Testosterone; Tissue Distribution

Boron oxide has been shown in animals to irritate the respiratory mucosa and conjunctiva. The present study was undertaken to determine whether exposures to boron oxide and its hydration product, boric acid, cause respiratory and eye irritation in humans. One hundred thirteen workers exposed to these materials and 214 unexposed workers were interviewed regarding symptoms. Statistically significant associations were found between eye irritation, dryness of the mouth, nose, or throat, sore throat, and productive cough and mean exposures of 4.1 mg/m3 (which probably did not exceed 8.5 mg/m3).

Topics: Adult; Boric Acids; Boron; Boron Compounds; Dust; Endophthalmitis; Female; Humans; Inflammation; Irritants; Male; Middle Aged; Occupational Diseases; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Smoking

We report 7 infants suffering from seizures induced by chronic boric acid ingestion. The boric acid was given by dipping a soother in a proprietary borax and honey mixture. The babies have remained well since the mixture was withheld.

Topics: Borates; Boric Acids; Boron; Humans; Infant; Nonprescription Drugs; Seizures

Topics: Animals; Boric Acids; Boron; Daphnia; Lethal Dose 50; Reproduction; Time Factors; Water Supply

Topics: Autoradiography; Boric Acids; Boron; Neutrons; Steel

Topics: Boric Acids; Boron; Boron Compounds; Humans; Infant

Topics: Achromobacter; Aliivibrio fischeri; Boric Acids; Boron; Cell Respiration; Luminescence; Respiration

Topics: Boric Acids; Boron; Breast; Humans; Milk

Topics: Boric Acids; Boron; Humans