The mitigation effect of boron on the occurrence of osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats

Abstract

<p indent="0mm">In recent years, unhealthy lifestyles and diet habits have resulted in poor bone growth and development, as well as bone metabolism disorders in adolescents. At the same time, bone metabolism disorder represented by osteoporosis has become the second disease that threatens human health after cardiovascular disease. The bone metabolism disease is a persistent problem in the livestock husbandry and pet industry, which has caused the death and elimination of livestock and poultry and has brought huge economic losses. Therefore, bone metabolic diseases not only threaten human health, but also seriously affect the economic benefits of the pet industry and livestock husbandry. While people focus on the prevention of animal bone metabolism diseases, they mainly focus on various vitamins and major elements, but ignore the trace element “boron” with a wide range of uses. Boron is a non-metal element, and its unique physical and chemical properties make it widely involved in the metabolic regulation activities of human and animal bodies. It promotes the immune function, antioxidant capacity, mineral and hormone metabolism, growth and production performance of animals, especially in bone metabolism which is essential trace element. A large number of studies have shown that boron deficiency will not only lead to bone dysplasia and even deformity, but also lead to bone structural changes, and disorders in bone formation and bone repair. Appropriate boron supplementation has positive effects on bone development and bone maintenance of humans and animals. In this study, the ovariectomized (OVX) rats were selected to establish an osteoporosis model, and the effects of boron on osteoporosis were studied by boron supplementation in drinking water during 22 weeks. Through the microscopic observation of the femoral metaphysis tissue structure in different periods (the 9th and 22nd week after boron supplementation), boron could slow down but not completely prevent the occurrence of osteoporosis. For a long time after the rats’ ovaries were removed, the removal of the ovaries resulted in severe estrogen deficiency in rats. Although studies have shown that boron has an estrogen-like effect and could make up for the lack of estrogen, but not completely replace estrogen. Boron could inhibit the TRAP activity and reduce the bone resorption process, but the bone metabolism including bone resorption and bone formation of the OVX rat has also entered a steady state, ALP activity was still decreased and the osteogenesis effect was weakened. In addition, boron supplementation maintained the content of the serum Ca, P and Mg in the OVX rats, and those three elements mainly derived from the bone minerals of the skeletal system. Therefore, the rat body has been in a state of losing Ca, P, and Mg for a long time, and bone minerals loss will lead to osteoporosis if it goes on. The improvement of antioxidant capacity in OVX rats in the boron supplementation groups could slow down the damage of oxidative stress to osteoblasts and osteocytes, inhibit the differentiation and proliferation of osteoclasts, reduce the damage to the skeletal system, and delay the occurrence of osteoporosis. Therefore, boron could slow down but not completely prevent the occurrence of osteoporosis in OVX rats.