Submitted on November 3, 2008
Revised on April 29, 2009
Accepted on May 1, 2009
Short- term Mg deficiency results in decreased levels of serum sphingomyelin, lipid peroxidation and apoptosis in cardiovascular tissues
Burton M Altura1*, Nilank C Shah2, Xian-Cheng Jiang2, Zhiquang Li2, Jose Luis Perez-Albela3, Anthony C Sica2, and Bella T Altura2
1 Suny Downstate Medical Center
2 SUNY Downstate Med Ctr
3 Instituto Bien de Salud
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: burton.altura{at}downstate.edu.
The present study tested the hypothesis that short-term (S-T) dietary deficiency of magnesium (Mg) (21 days) in rats would : 1) result in decreased serum(s) levels of Mg , sphingomyelin (SM) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) , 2) promote DNA-fragmentation (fr), lipid peroxidation (LP) and activation of caspase-3 in cardiac (ventricular, atrial ) and vascular(aortic) muscle; and 3) low levels of Mg2+ added to drinking water would either prevent or greatly ameliorate these manifestations. The data indicate that S-T Mg-deficiency (10 percent normal dietary intake) resulted in profound reductions in s-ionized Mg and total Mg with elevation in s-ionized calcium (Ca2+), significant lowering of s-SM and s-PC, with concomitant LP , DNA- fr and activation of caspase-3 in ventricular (right and left chambers),atrial (right and left chambers) and abdominal aortic smooth muscle. The greater the reduction in s-Mg, the greater the effects on DNA-fr, LP and caspase-3 activity. Intake of water-borne Mg2+ at all levels greatly attenuated or inhibited the reductions in s-SM and s-PC , activation of LP,DNA fragmentation ,and activation of caspase-3; even very low levels of Mg2+ in drinking water ( i.e.,15 , ppm /day) were cardio-and vascular protective. In addition , we demonstrate that S-T dietary deficiency of Mg probably results in a down-regulation of SM synthase and decreased synthesis of PC.
