Oral Magnesium Supplementation Induces Favorable Antiatherogenic Changes in ApoE-Deficient Mice

Abstract

Abstract-Epidemiological studies indicate that dietary magnesium influences atherogenesis. Magnesium inhibits plaque formation in animals receiving a high cholesterol diet, whereas the effect of magnesium in animals on low-fat diet has not been explored. Magnesium sulfate was given in the drinking water (50 mg/mL) to 7-week-old apolipoprotein E-deficient (apoE Ϫ/Ϫ ) mice (nϭ30). Control animals (nϭ30) received tap water. At the age of 19 weeks, the extent of atherosclerosis and the density of macrophages were measured in the aortic root, and blood lipids were analyzed. The median plaque area was significantly smaller in magnesium-treated female apoE Ϫ/Ϫ mice and reached only 66% of control females (PϽ0.02). Plaque area was also less extensive in magnesium-treated male mice, although not statistically significant. Macrophage density was similar in both groups. Magnesium significantly reduced cholesterol (PϽ0.05) and triglyceride (PϽ0.01) levels, whereas high density lipoprotein cholesterol remained stable. No significant differences in body and heart weight were seen between treatment groups for either sex. In conclusion, in apoE Ϫ/Ϫ mice receiving a low-fat diet, magnesium supplementation significantly inhibited atherogenesis in females but not males. Plaque composition remained unchanged in terms of macrophage density. This was obtained in association with significantly reduced levels of cholesterol and triglycerides.

Effects of Desalted Deep Sea water on Hematologic and Blood Chemical Values in Mice

“…In the blood chemical values, TG level was significantly higher in the 6.7% dSSW group, while no significant differences in TC, HDLC, and GLU were found among the 7 water groups. Inverse association between magnesium intake and plasma TG level has been previously reported (Altura et al 1990;Ouchi et al 1990;Sherer et al 1999;Ravn et al 2001;Cohen et al 2002). As shown in Table 1, dDSW and dSSW are rich in calcium and magnesium.…”

“…On the other hand, inverse association between calcium or magnesium intake and plasma TC level has been previously reported (Yamaguchi et al 1994;Ravn et al 2001;Cohen et al 2002, Nebrand et al 2003. A previous animal experiment using DSW and mice has suggested that DSW had an effect of decreasing serum TC level (Suzuki 2000).…”

Nutrition and Atherosclerosis

“…Low serum concentration of this ion impairs glucose homeostasis and action, elevates blood pressure, induces chronic inflammation and impairs vasomotor tone (151). A previous study in Apo-E-deficient mice showed that animals consuming a low-fat diet and supplementation of drinking water with magnesium sulfate significantly reduce the median plaque area and cholesterol and triglyceride levels (152).…”

Different Effects of Three Types of Water on Developmental Behaviors, Lipid Metabolism and Antioxidant Capacity of Juvenile Zebrafish

“…It is well established that high concentrations of calcium in the diet can inhibit absorption of dietary fatty acids, suppressing circulating concentrations of hormones such as 25-hydroxyvitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, and parathyroid hormone, which normally promote calcium uptake and influx into cells, and thus, reverse the adipogenic action of Agouti protein by reducing intracellular calcium concentrations (Zemel, Shi, Greer, Dirienzo, & Zemel, 2000). Furthermore, Hanne et al found that magnesium significantly reduced TG levels in apoE -/mice when the animals received standard mouse chow with a sufficient magnesium content (Ravn, Korsholm, & Falk, 2001). However, Orimo and Ouchi found unaltered lipid levels in cholesterol-fed rabbits (Orimo & Ouchi, 1990).…”