Boric acid improves the behavioral, electrophysiological and histological parameters of cisplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy in rats

• Published in: Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology 2022-03, Vol.70, p.126917-126917, Article 126917
• Main Authors: Yildirim, Caner, Cevik, Sena, Yamaner, Hatice, Orkmez, Mustafa, Eronat, Omer, Bozdayı, Mehmet Akif, Erdem, Mehmet
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Boric acid; Boric Acids - pharmacology; Cisplatin; Cisplatin - therapeutic use; Electrophysiology; Nerve conduction velocity; Neuropathy; Oxidative Stress; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases - chemically induced; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases - drug therapy; Rats; Rats, Wistar
• ISSN: 0946-672X; 1878-3252
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2021.126917

•Boric acid significantly alleviated mechanical allodynia.•MNCV of the sciatic nerve impaired by cisplatin increased considerably by boric acid.•Boric acid reduced axonal vacuolazition caused by cisplatin.•Boric acid reduced the level of MDA and significantly increased the level of SOD.•Boric acid alleviated adverse of cisplatin neuropathy. Boric acid (BA) has been used in many diseases because it increases the amount of reduced glutathione in the body and reduces oxidative damage. This study aims to investigate the effects of boric acid in cisplatin-induced neuropathy, in which oxidative stress is also effective in its pathophysiology. In this study, 8–10 weeks old, 170−190 g Wistar Albino rats were used. Each group contained seven rats (n = 35). Experimental groups consist of control, sham, neuropathy, treatment, and boric acid groups. For the neuropathy model, a single dose of cisplatin (3 mg/kg, i.p) was administered once a week for five weeks, and for the treatment group, boric acid was administered daily (100 mg/kg, intragastric) for five weeks. After drug administration, the rotarod test to evaluate motor performance, the tail-flick and hot/cold plate tests to evaluate sensory conduction states, the von Frey filament test to evaluate the mechanical allodynia, and the adhesive removal test to assess sensorimotor function were performed. The sciatic nerve's motoric conduction velocity was also assessed electrophysiologically. Oxidative stress parameters were also assessed biochemically in sciatic nerve tissue and serum. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to evaluate the sciatic nerve tissue histopathologically. The motor conduction velocity of the sciatic nerve, impaired by cisplatin, was increased considerably by boric acid (p < 0.05). It also reduced the latency time of the compound muscle action potential (CMAP), which was increased by cisplatin. (p < 0.05). The von Frey filament test results demonstrated increased pain sensitivity of the cisplatin group increased, and mechanical allodynia was observed. Boric acid significantly alleviated this condition (p < 0.05). In the cold plate, adhesive removal, and rotarod tests, boric acid attenuated the adverse effects of cisplatin (p < 0.05). Biochemically, BA reduced the level of MDA, which was raised by cisplatin, and significantly increased the level of SOD, which was lowered by cisplatin (p < 0.05). Histopathologically; BA reduced neuronal degeneration and vacuolization caused by cisplatin. As a