title: Stimulation of bone formation by dietary boron in an orthopedically expanded suture in rabbits.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of dietary boron on bone regeneration in rabbits in response to expansion of the midpalatal suture during different retention periods.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight 12-week-old New Zealand white male rabbits were separated into four equal groups: group 1 (B+10) and group 2 (B-10) had retention periods of 10 days with or without boron intake, respectively. Group 3 (B+20, with boron) and group 4 (B-20, without boron) were retained for 20 days. All groups had a 5-day expansion period. For both B+ groups, boron was prepared in distilled water and given to the rabbits during their (1) nursery phase (40 days), (2) expansion phase, and (3) retention period at a dosage of 3 mg/kg daily by oral gavage. Bone regeneration in the midpalatal suture was evaluated by a bone histomorphometric method, and the mineralized area (Md.Ar), fibrosis area (Fb.Ar), mineralized area/fibrosis area (Md.Ar/Fb.Ar), bone area (B.Ar) and osteoblast number (N.Ob) parameters were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statistical analysis showed significant differences between groups for all investigated measurements. Md.Ar (P < .01), Md.Ar/Fb.Ar (P < .001), B.Ar (P < .01), and N.Ob (P < .01) parameters were increased and Fb.Ar (P < .01) was decreased in groups B+10 and B+20. No significant differences were observed during an additional 10-day retention period in all groups (P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Boron has a positive effect on the early phase of bone regeneration of the midpalatal suture in response to expansion and may be beneficial in routine maxillary expansion procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey. tancanuysal@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Tancan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uysal
authors.forename: Ayca
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ustdal
authors.forename: Mehmet Fatih
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Sonmez
authors.forename: Figen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ozturk
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001861:Bone Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D001895:Boron / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003393:Cranial Sutures / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010155:Palatal Expansion Technique; D021362:Palate, Hard / Q000502:physiology*; D011817:Rabbits; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D018977:Micronutrients; D001895:Boron