Exploring the anti-inflammatory activity of boron compounds through the miR-21/PTEN/AKT pathway in cecal ligation and puncture-induced sepsis

Abstract

The present study investigated the impact of boric acid (BA) and borax (BX) on markers of inflammation and modifications in miR-21/PTEN/AKT pathway genes in the liver and kidney tissues of Sprague Dawley male rats with sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). A total of 60 male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into 6 groups, each containing 10 animals as follows: Control, CLP (where the model was created), 20 mg/kg BX (CLP + BX1), 40 mg/kg BX (CLP + BX2), 20 mg/kg BA (CLP + BA1) and 40 mg/kg BA (CLP + BA2). Liver and kidney tissues were analyzed for histopathological changes, immunopositivity for tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10, and gene expression of microRNA-21 (miR-21), phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and AKT. Gene expression analysis in the liver tissues revealed a significant decrease in miR-21, and a marked but not significant decrease in PTEN levels in the CLP group, while AKT expression was significantly increased in the CLP group, and was significantly decreased in CLP + BA1 group compared with in the CLP group. In the kidney tissues, miR-21 levels were significantly decreased in the CLP group, but the CLP + BA2 group showed a significant increase compared with in the CLP group. These results suggest the potential therapeutic benefits of low-dose BA and BX in ameliorating sepsis-induced tissue damage, emphasizing the need for further exploration of their mechanisms of action.