title: Boron-containing acids: preliminary evaluation of acute toxicity and access to the brain determined by Raman scattering spectroscopy.
abstract: Boron-containing compounds (BCCs), particularly boron containing acids (BCAs), have become attractive moieties or molecules in drug development. It has been suggested that when functional groups with boron atoms are added to well-known drugs, the latter are conferred with greater potency and efficacy in relation to their target receptors. However, the use of BCAs in drug development is limited due to the lack of a toxicological profile. Consequently, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the acute toxicity of boric and boronic acids. Thus, a determination was made of the lethal dose (LD50) of test compounds in male CD1 mice, as well as the effective dose required to negatively affect spontaneous motor activity and to produce notable behavioral abnormalities. After treatment of animals at different doses, macroscopic observations were made from a necropsy, and Raman scattering spectroscopic studies were carried out on brain tissue samples. In general, the results show that most of the tested BCAs have very low toxicity, evidenced by the high doses required to induce notable toxic effects (greater than 100 mg/kg of body weight for all compounds, except for 3-thyenilboronic acid). Such toxic effects, presumably mediated by action on the CNS, include eye damage, gastrointestinal effects (e.g., gastric-gut dilatation and fecal retention), sedation, hypnosis and/or trembling. This preliminary toxicological profile suggests that BCAs can be considered potential therapeutic agents or moieties to be added to other compounds in the development of new drugs. Future studies are required to explore possible chronic toxicity of BCCs.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiología y Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, 11340 México, D.F., Mexico. Electronic address: msoriano@ipn.mx.
authors.forename: Marvin A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Soriano-Ursúa
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica y Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, 11340 México, D.F., Mexico.
authors.forename: Eunice D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Farfán-García
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica y Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, 11340 México, D.F., Mexico.
authors.forename: Yessica
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: López-Cabrera
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiología y Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, 11340 México, D.F., Mexico.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Querejeta
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica y Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, 11340 México, D.F., Mexico.
authors.forename: José G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Trujillo-Ferrara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001897:Boronic Acids / Q000633:toxicity*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects*; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman
chemical_list: D001897:Boronic Acids
keywords: 2,4,6-trifluorophenylboronic acid; 2-methylpropylboronic acid; 2MP; 3-thienylboronic acid; 3TB; 4-dimethylaminophenylboronic acid; 4-fluorophenylboronic acid; 4-methoxyphenylboronic acid; 4DP; 4FB; 4MP; Acute toxicity in CNS; BCAs; BCCs; BOR; Boron; CNS; CYC; Drug development; LD(50); Neurotoxicology; PBA; Raman spectroscopy; TFB; TMR; boric acid; boron-containing acids; boron-containing compounds; central nervous system; cyclohexylboronic acid; i.p.; intraperitoneal; lethal dose 50; phenylboronic acid; transmembrane receptor