JLE

Magnesium Research

MENU

Aging impairs the protective effect of magnesium supplementation on hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats Volume 20, numéro 3, September 2007

Auteurs
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan

Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder that is unique to pregnancy. Magnesium (Mg 2+) supplementation is a potential new therapy to ameliorate development of hypertension. The aim of this work was to compare the effects of Mg 2+ supplementation on systolic blood pressure (SBP) in young and aged rats. Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were divided into young (6-week-old male, n = 10) and old (16-week-old male, n = 10) groups. Each group of rats comprised two subgroups made of a control subgroup fed with normal rat chow (0.2% Mg 2+, n = 5) and a high Mg 2+ subgroup nourished with a Mg 2+ rich diet (0.8% Mg 2+, n = 5). Age-matched Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) were also allocated into two groups. SBP was assessed weekly for 12 weeks indirectly by the tail-cuff method. SBP increased progressively in SHR-young rats after 7 weeks. This increase was greater in the control subgroup compared to high Mg 2+ subgroup at 7 weeks (p < 0.05). No difference in the SBP was registered between old SHR subgroups. Mg 2+ supplementation does not exert antihypertensive effects in the WKY rats. In conclusion, Mg 2+ supplementation may provide beneficial effect in the developmental phase of hypertension but not in established hypertension.