Boric acid effects of detection oxidative stress in testis tissue and spermatozone DNA damage in mice

In this study, boric acid were administered male Swiss albino CD-1 mice at different doses (115, 250 and 450 mg/bw/day) and duration (4 and 6-weeks) of oral administration of body weight (bw), male fertility (testis and vesicula seminalis tissue weights), sperm quality (motility, dead/live ratios and membrane integrity), oxidative stress biomarkers (malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) enzyme activities) and possible effects on spermatozoon DNA damage were assessed. During the study, all mice are in the application period (4 and 6-weeks) v. seminalis weight reduction (P<0.05), this is the most seen 450 mg/kg boric acid given group. When compared to the control group in sperm samples, motility values (%) reduction in boric acid adminisration groups which 450 mg/kg/day for 4-weeks (P<0.05), 250 and 450 mg/kg/day for 6-weeks (P <0.001), live sperm rates (%) were decreased when the dose was increased in the 4-week groups (P<0.01), this is higher in the 6-week groups (P<0.001), membrane integrity values (%) were found to be reduced by boric acid administration in all groups at 4 and 6-weeks (P<0.001). In spermatozoa, DNA damage was detected ranging from 3.3% to 14.4% in the 6-week groups (P<0.001), and DNA damage was not observed in all groups treated with boric acid for 4-weeks in the application period. According to the control group in the testicular tissue, MDA level increases as dose increases (P<0.001 and P<0.05), SOD enzyme activities were decreased at the 250 and 450 mg/kg/day dose groups at 6-weeks (P<0.01), also GSH activities was low in the 450 mg/kg/day in the 4-week group (P<0.05), and at the 250 and 450 mg/kg/day doses in the 6-week groups (P<0.001). Considering the doses and durations applied in the study, the application period was found to be effective in evaluating the fertility and toxic effects of boron compounds. It has also been suggested that multidisciplinary studies involving different analysis methods and parameters may be useful in determining and assessing possible levels of DNA damage in spermatozoa.