Effectiveness of Boric Acid in the Treatment of Sepsis in Rats with Cecal Perforation

Introduction and Aim Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response that develops in the host against microorganisms, which results in end-organ damage. Cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) method produces results most similar to human sepsis. Boric acid (BA) has been shown to have immune modulatory effects in vitro and in animal studies. The aim of the study is to investigate the protective and therapeutic effectiveness of BA on lung and kidney tissues in rats with sepsis induced by the CLP method. Method 28 rats were randomly divided into four groups: Group C (control group), Group BA, Group CLP, and Group CLP + BA. Cecum was ligated below the ileocecal valve and punctured. BA was administered to the treatment groups at an intraperitoneal dose of 500 mg/kg, and at the end of 24 hours, lung and kidney tissue samples were collected and evaluated for biochemical and histopathological parameters. Results Histopathologically, in kidney tissue, CLP + BA group showed significantly less peritubular capillary dilatation and brush border loss in the proximal tubule epithelium compared to the CLP group. In lung tissue, CLP + BA group had significantly less alveolar wall thickening compared to the CLP group. Biochemical analyses indicated that BA administration reduced oxidative stress in both renal and lung tissues Conclusion We found that intraperitoneal administration of boric acid partially ameliorated the tissue damage in rats subjected to CLP induced sepsis. Further studies are needed regarding the dosage and application at different time points.