Dietary Boron Decreases Peak Pancreatic In Situ Insulin Release in Chicks and Plasma Insulin Concentrations in Rats Regardless of Vitamin D or Magnesium Status

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Abstract
Because dietary boron deprivation induces hyperinsulinemia in vitamin D–deprived rats, the influence of dietary boron on insulin metabolism as modified by nutritional stressors was examined in two animal models. Male weanling Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to each of four (Experiment 1) or 8 (Experiment 2) dietary groups for 35 d: the basal diet (< 0.2 mg B; P < 0.002; Experiment 2, P < 0.03), but did not change glucose concentrations regardless of vitamin D-3 or magnesium status. Cockerels (1 d old) were fed a ground corn, high protein casein and corn oil–based basal diet (low boron; 0.3 mg B/kg) supplemented with boron as orthoboric acid to contain 0.3 or 1.65 mg/kg (a physiologic amount) and vitamin D-3 at 3.13 (inadequate) or 15.60 (adequate) μg/kg. In the chick model, boron decreased (P < 0.045) in situ peak pancreatic insulin release at 26–37 d of age regardless of vitamin D-3 nutriture. These results suggest that physiologic amounts of boron may help reduce the amount of insulin required to maintain plasma glucose.

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