title: Dietary magnesium, manganese and boron affect the response of rats to high dietary aluminum.
abstract: Studies were done to ascertain whether dietary magnesium, manganese and boron affect the response of the rat to high dietary aluminum. Four factorially arranged experiments of 7 weeks duration were performed with weanling Sprague-Dawley male rats. The variables were the following supplements (microgram/g fresh diet): boron as boric acid, 0 and 3; aluminum as aluminum chloride, 0 and 1,000; and magnesium as magnesium acetate, 100 and 400 (experiments 1 and 4) or 100, 200 and 400 (experiments 2 and 3). In experiments 1 and 2, the diet was supplemented with 20 micrograms manganese/g as manganese acetate, in experiments 3 and 4 the supplement was 50 micrograms/g. High dietary aluminum seemed most toxic when dietary magnesium was low enough to cause a marked growth depression (100 micrograms/g). High dietary aluminum elevated the spleen weight/body weight and liver weight/body weight ratios in magnesium-deficient, but not in magnesium-adequate rats. High dietary aluminum depressed the concentrations of magnesium in bone more markedly in magnesium-deficient than adequate rats. On the other hand, aluminum seemed most toxic when dietary boron was not low. Aluminum more markedly depressed growth in boron-supplemented than boron-deprived rats. In the boron-deprived rats fed 400 micrograms magnesium/g of diet, high dietary aluminum (1,000 micrograms/g) apparently was beneficial, in experiments 2 and 3, hematocrit, and hemoglobin were actually normalized by high dietary aluminum. Plasma magnesium was significantly depressed by high dietary aluminum when the manganese supplement was 50 micrograms/g diet but not when it was 20 micrograms/g diet. On the other hand, growth was more markedly depressed by high dietary aluminum in boron-supplemented rats when the manganese supplement was 20 rather than 50 micrograms/g diet. The findings indicate that the response of rats to high dietary aluminum is influenced by magnesium, boron, and manganese nutriture.
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, N. Dak.
authors.forename: F H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Shuler
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Zimmerman
authors.forename: E O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Uthus
mesh_terms: D000535:Aluminum / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000378:metabolism; D001895:Boron / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D004032:Diet; D004347:Drug Interactions; D006400:Hematocrit; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008274:Magnesium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008345:Manganese / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013154:Spleen / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D014886:Weaning
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D008345:Manganese; D000535:Aluminum; D008274:Magnesium; D001895:Boron; D002118:Calcium