Magnesium therapy in hyperlipidemy

Introduction: In liver diseases redox homeostasis is altered. Since magnesium plays a key role in the synthesis of several proteins and enzymes, therefore it may be fundamental in the activity of the antioxidant system.

The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of magnesium polygalacturonate on redox homeostasis in hyperlipidemy.

Materials and methods: Male Wistar rats (n=40; 150–200g bw) were divided into four groups (control, control+Mg-treated, hyperlipidemic, hyperlipidemic+Mg-treated). The dose of magnesium was 150mg/kg bw ad libitum. After 9 days rutin laboratory parameters and redox homeostais (plasma: total scavenger capacity, H-donating ability and reducing power; erythrocyte: total scavenger capacity; liver: total scavenger capacity, H-donating ability, reducing power and diene conjugates at Δ232nm) were measured.

Results: Routin laboratory parameters showed that by the effect of magnesium therapy the ALP, creatinine, cholesterol and amylase activity decreased compared to the rats in hyperlipidemy. H-donating ability in plasma and liver (from 37.16±0.96 to 37.40±2.06 and from 28.17±2.20 to 26.59±3.18 inhibition%, respectively), as well as reducing power in plasma and liver (from 0.590±0.033 to 0.603±0.046 and from 0.152±0.024 to 0.120±0.034µmol ascorbic acid/g protein) did not change significantly. The concentrations of diene conjugates decreased (from 1.11±0.24 to 0.731±0.154) in treated rats. The chemiluminescence intensity of plasma, erythrocyte and liver decreased (from 12.99±0.09 to 8.03±3.18 RLU%; from 27.07±0.01 to 16.84±3.77 RLU% and from 143.0±13.5 to 126.2±7.9 RLU%, respectively). This means that total scavenger capacities of plasma, erythrocyte and liver increased.

Conclusion: The magnesium therapy improved the function of antioxidant system in vivo in hyperlipidemy.

The study was supported by NKFP1/A/005/2004, 1/B/047/2004 and ETT 002/2003.