Analysis of boron content in black mouse using prompt gamma neutron activation analysis

A prompt gamma-ray activation analysis (PGAA) is known as one of the most powerful methods for the analysis of boron in different samples. In the boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) study, an accurate determination of the boron content in a biological sample is very important work. The PGAA facility at the HANARO research reactor, KAERI, Korea was applied to the determination of boron the content in the tissue of a mouse sample. The analytical quality control was carried out using certified reference materials (CRM) such as peach leaves, apple leaves, a total diet, a typical diet and oyster tissue (NIST SRM), and the relative error was agreed to within 3 % of the certified values. A standard solution of boron was administered intraperitoneally with a dose rate of 750 and 75 mg/kg body weight in mice (C57BL/6) induced skin cancer and the accumulation rate in each organ such as the skin cancer, blood, spleen, liver, kidney and the brain was investigated. Boronophenylalanine (BPA) was administered at a dose of 750 mg/kg body weight intraperitoneally. The 10B concentration in the tumor of BPA was 5.32 mg/kg and the boron concentration ratio of the brain to tumor was 1.30. In the case of the borocaptate sodium (BSH) at a dose of 75 mg/kg body weight, the 10B concentration in the tumor was 3.54 mg/kg and boron concentration ratio of the brain to tumor was 0.54.