Boric Acid (Boron) Attenuates AOM-Induced Colorectal Cancer in Rats by Augmentation of Apoptotic and Antioxidant Mechanisms
Abstract
\r\nBoric acid (BA) is a naturally occurring weak Lewis acid containing boron, oxygen, and hydrogen elements that can be \r\nfound in water, soil, and plants. Because of its numerous biological potentials including anti-proliferation actions, the present \r\ninvestigates the chemopreventive possessions of BA on azoxymethane (AOM)-induced colonic aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in \r\nrats. Thirty laboratory rats were divided into 5 groups: negative control (A) received two subcutaneous inoculations of normal \r\nsaline and nourished on 10% Tween 20; groups B–E had two injections of 15 mg/kg azoxymethane followed by ingestion of \r\n10% Tween 20 (B, cancer control), inoculation with intraperitoneal 35 mg/kg 5-fuorouracil injection (C, reference group), \r\nor ingested with boric acid 30 mg/kg (D) and 60 mg/kg (E). The gross morphology results showed signifcantly increased \r\ntotal colonic ACF in cancer controls, while BA treatment caused a signifcant reduction of ACF values. Histopathological \r\nevaluation of colons from cancer controls showed bizarrely elongated nuclei, stratifed cells, and higher depletion of the \r\nsubmucosal glands than that of BA-treated groups. Boric acid treatment up-surged the pro-apoptotic (Bax) expression and \r\nreduced anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2) protein expressions. Moreover, BA ingestion caused upregulation of antioxidant enzymes \r\n(GPx, SOD, CAT), and lowered MDA contents in colon tissue homogenates. Boric acid–treated rats had signifcantly lower \r\npro-infammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6) and higher anti-infammatory cytokines (IL-10) based on serum analysis. The \r\ncolorectal cancer attenuation by BA is shown by the reduced ACF numbers, anticipated by its regulatory potentials on the \r\napoptotic proteins, antioxidants, and infammatory cytokines originating from AOM-induced oxidative damage.
Author
Rawaz Rizgar Hassan
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-023-03864-0
Publisher
Biological trace element research
ISSN
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