Protective effects of boric acid possessing antioxidant and cytoprotective properties against cyclophosphamide-induced liver damage in rats: A histopathological and stereological study

Objective: Our study was conducted to investigate the potential protective activities of boric acid (BA), which exhibits antioxidant and protective properties against cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced liver injury in rats, using histopathological and stereological methods. Methods: Twelve-week-old rats were randomly assigned to one of four groups of eight animals each: Control (Cont: receiving 1 ml tap water by oral gavage for 7 days), CP (a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) dose of 150 mg/kg, BA (15 mg/kg/day, orally for 7 days), and CP+BA (a single dose of 150 mg/kg CP i.p., plus 15 mg/kg/day BA by oral gavage for 7 days). At the end of the experiment, liver tissues were collected after anesthesia and decapitation. Total liver and sinusoidal volumes were estimated using the Cavalieri method. Hematoxylin-eosin, Masson trichrome, and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining were applied for histopathological evaluations. Results: Stereological analysis revealed a statistically significant increase in total liver volume in the CP group compared to the Cont (p=0.004) and CP+BA groups (p=0.045). Sinusoidal volume was also significantly higher in the CP group compared to the Cont (p=0.001) and CP+BA groups (p=0.037). Histopathological examination revealed impaired hepatic architecture, hepatocyte degeneration, and increased sinusoidal dilatation and mast cell density in the CP group. In contrast, a partially preserved liver histology with reduced degeneration was observed in the CP+BA group. Conclusion: BA treatment exhibits a partial hepatoprotective effect against CP-induced liver injury, as shown by both the stereological and histopathological analyses. The study findings indicate the hepatoprotective potential of BA treatment and suggest that it represents a promising candidate for therapeutic use.