Mechanism of Body Weight Reducing Effect of Oral Boric Acid Intake

Erhan Aysan,Erkan Yardımcı,Dilek Telci,Huseyin Bektasoglu,Mahmut Muslumanoglu,Merve Erdem,Fikrettin Sahin

doi:10.1155/2013/914651

Abstract

Objective. The effect of oral boric acid intake on reducing body weight has been previously demonstrated although the mechanism has been unclear. This research study reveals the mechanism. Subjects. Twelve mice were used, in groups of six each in the control and study groups. For five days, control group mice drank standard tap water while during the same time period the study group mice drank tap water which contains 0.28 mg/250 mL boric acid. After a 5-day period, gene expression levels for uncoupling proteins (UCPs) in the white adipose tissue (WAT), brown adipose tissue (BAT), and skeletal muscle tissue (SMT) and total body weight changes were analyzed. Results. Real time PCR analysis revealed no significant change in UCP3 expressions, but UCP2 in WAT (P: 0.0317), BAT (P: 0.014), and SMT (P: 0.0159) and UCP1 in BAT (P: 0.026) were overexpressed in the boric acid group. In addition, mice in the boric acid group lost body weight (mean 28.1%) while mice in the control group experienced no weight loss but a slight weight gain (mean 0.09%, P < 0.001). Conclusion. Oral boric acid intake causes overexpression of thermogenic proteins in the adipose and skeletal muscle tissues. Increasing thermogenesis through UCP protein pathway results in the accelerated lipolysis and body weight loss.

Highlights

Boron, immediately to the left of carbon atom in the periodic table, is so similar to carbon that many carbon-based molecules are for all practical purposes the same as boron-based molecules
Fresh white adipose tissue (WAT), brown adipose tissue (BAT), and skeletal muscle tissue (SMT) were dissected from mice in the control group without the boric acid intake and the experimental group with the boric acid intake and we analyzed for the changes in the expression levels of uncoupling proteins (UCPs) 1, 2, and 3 using the real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis
We demonstrate for the first time that the oral administration of boric acid induces an increase in the expression levels of UCP2 in WAT, BAT, and SMT cells UCP1 in BAT cells

Summary

Introduction

Immediately to the left of carbon atom in the periodic table, is so similar to carbon that many carbon-based molecules are for all practical purposes the same as boron-based molecules. The actual mean daily intake of boron in human diet is estimated to be 1.2 mg/day [1]. Boron is used in a wide range of products, including glass, detergents, fire retardants, and fibers to reinforce the plane fuselages and body armor, and in other superhard materials [2]. The similarity of boron to carbon has led to its wide use in biology [1, 3,4,5]. We demonstrated that oral boric acid intake lowered the body weight of BALB/c outbred female mice [6]. In this research we aim to reveal the molecular mechanism underlying the body weight reducing the effect of oral boric acid intake. Fresh white adipose tissue (WAT), brown adipose tissue (BAT), and skeletal muscle tissue (SMT) were dissected from mice in the control group without the boric acid intake and the experimental group with the boric acid intake and we analyzed for the changes in the expression levels of uncoupling proteins (UCPs) 1, 2, and 3 using the real time PCR analysis

Methods

Results

Conclusion