[Effect of drinking boron on blood composition in rats]

To observe the effects of boron supplemented in water on the blood composition in rats.

192 Sprague-Dawley rats (28 +/- 2) d were randomly divided into six groups (n=32, 16 male rats and 16 female rats), and drank the distilled water supplemented with 0, 40, 80, 160, 320 and 640 mg/L boron for 60 days, respectively. At the 30th and the 60th day of experiment period, 16 rats (n=8, male=female) from each group were selected and made into narcosis with 10% Chloral Hydrate. Then the blood were obtained from the right atrium after dissection, the blood smear were made and stained with Wright's and Giemsa's stains at the same time. Then the red cells count, the white cells count, the reticulocyte counts, the hemoglobinometry and the differential leukocytes count were determined.

In comparison with control group, the reticulocyte percentages of all experiment groups exhibited different degree increases, the RBC numbers and Hb contents in rats consuming 40 and 80 mg/L of boron more significantly raised (P < 0.05), but the changes of the leucocyte percentages were more no significant. The numbers of RBC and WBC and the Hb contents in rats supplemented with from 160 to 640 mg/L of boron all decreased significantly or most significantly (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), and the percentages of neutrophil, eosinophil, basophil and monocytic showed similar changes on the 60th day of experiment time.

The distilled water supplemented with 40 mg/L of boron could promote the hemopoiesis and Hb synthesis in rats, and the drinking water supplemented with 80 mg/L of boron would have some promotion on the erythropoiesis and Hb synthesis; but when the boron supplementation from 160 to 640 mg/L, the higher doses boron could inhibit the hemopoiesis and Hb synthesis obviously, or even exhibit apparent toxicity action.