Investigation of the effects of acute and chronic boron exposure at different doses

Boron is considered to be one of the most significant subterranean mineral resources, with Turkey possessing 73.5% of the global reserves. Despite the preponderance of boron and its compounds, which encompass approximately 250 varieties, in industrial domains, there has been a recent surge of interest in their applications in the field of health. It is an essential element for all living things and plays a vital role in numerous physiological processes within the body. The substance has been demonstrated to have active roles in bone and brain health, as well as in immune and immune system mechanisms, vitamin, mineral, hormone and some enzyme mechanisms. However, it should be noted that there is a very thin boundary between deficiency and toxicity of boron, which has a high coefficient of effect. Consequently, the potential benefits of boron compounds, which are purported to exhibit favourable outcomes when administered in recommended doses, should be examined in diverse exposure scenarios. The available literature on the toxicity of boron compounds in relation to health is extremely limited. The objective of this study was to examine the diverse outcomes of boron exposure, with consideration given to the duration and dosage of exposure. In order to achieve this objective, a total of 119 10-12 week old Wistar Albino female rats, with a body mass of between 250 and 300 grams, were divided into two groups: a control group and a treatment group. The randomisation process ensured that each group contained seven animals. The treatment groups were formed as follows: 5000, 2500 and 1250 mg/kg/day for 7, 15, 30, 45 and 60 days. Borax decahydrate was administered by gavage in order to create boron exposure. The body weight percentage change of rats was calculated, with the rats being weighed at the beginning and end of the study. Blood samples were subjected to a process of centrifugation, resulting in the extraction of sera. The concentrations of boron were determined in sera by means of an ICP-MS device. The findings obtained indicated that variations in body weight change percentages and serum boron concentrations may be contingent on factors such as time and dose. However, it was observed that degenerations in histopathological findings remained unaltered. It is recommended that research on boron exposure be increased and developed on a daily basis.