The interaction of magnesium with two other mineral elements, calcium and zinc, was studied in maternal tissues and fetuses of pregnant rats fed a magnesium deficient diet throughout gestation. Reduction in maternal femur magnesium and a trend for increased kidney calcium reflected the dietary magnesium deficiency. In fetuses, however, total magnesium content was reduced and , in addition, fetal zinc content was also lower than normal in the group most severly deficient in magnesium. The possible interpretation of this magnesium-zinc interaction is discussed.
Oxidative phosphorylation was studied in isolated liver mitochondria from manganese-deficient mice and in those from a mutant strain, pallid. In mitochondria from manganese-deficient mice, ratios of adenosine triphosphate formed to oxygen consumed were normal, but oxygen uptake was reduced. Electron microscopy of these mitochondria revealed ultrastructural abnormalities including elongation and reorientation of cristae. No biochemical or structural abnormalities were found in mitochondria from pallid mice.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.