Effects of Boric Acid on ABL1 Gene Expression in Swiss Albino Mice Exposed to High-Dose Total Body Irradiation

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Ekinci S., Çetin B. E., Korucu Y., Yiğin A.

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF THERAPEUTICS, cilt.32, sa.5, ss.1-8, 2026 (ESCI, TRDizin)

Özet

Objective: Radiation-induced DNA damage activates multiple cellular stress response pathways, including those associated with the ABL1 gene. This study investigated whether boric acid administration alters ABL1 gene expression following high-dose total body irradiation (TBI) in Swiss albino mice. Methods: Seventy-two Swiss albino mice were allocated into control, radiotherapy (RT), boric acid (30, 100, or 300 mg/kg), and combined boric acid plus radiotherapy groups. Total body irradiation was delivered as a single 8 Gy dose on day 0. Boric acid was administered orally once daily, beginning two days prior to irradiation and continued until sacrifice on day 2 or day 6 post-irradiation. ABL1 gene expression levels were quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), normalized to beta-actin (ACTB), and calculated using the 2⁻ΔΔCt method. Results: ABL1 gene expression was elevated in irradiated groups compared with controls. A statistically significant increase was observed in the group receiving 100 mg/ kg boric acid combined with RT on day 2 (p < 0.050). Although other treatment groups also demonstrated increased ABL1 expression, these differences were not statistically significant, which may be attributable to inter-individual variability. Conclusion: Boric acid appears to modulate radiation-induced alterations in ABL1 gene expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The observed effects were more pronounced during the early post-irradiation period, suggesting a potential influence of boric acid on early molecular responses to radiation exposure.