Magnesium protects against anaphylactic shock and cardiac myolysis in guinea-pigs.
The pathophysiological responses to immune stress (IS) include activation of several processes which are dependent on cytosolic Ca2+ elevation. Magnesium frequently acts as a natural Ca2+ antagonist. In this study we have observed that Mg2+ can protect guinea-pigs against IS. Antigen-sensitized guinea-pigs, which had been fed a magnesium-deficient diet, were given a single dose (15 mg) of MgCl2 intraperitoneally 1 h before antigen challenge. The development of anaphylactic shock (AS) was observed during the next 2 h, and the hearts were subsequently examined histologically for signs of cardiac myolysis (CM). Magnesium (i) reduced the incidence of CM from 40% to 10% (p < 0.05); (ii) reduced the incidence of AS from 61% to 35% (p < 0.05); (iii) attenuated the severity of the AS; and (iv) lowered mortality from 39% in the control to 19% in the Mg(2+)-treated group (p = 0.1). Serum and tissue total [Mg2+] were not affected by the administration of MgCl2. Also, the serum and heart Mg2+ levels were the same whether or not the guinea-pigs developed AS or CM. In cell culture we demonstrated that by elevating the [Mg2+] in the medium bathing sensitized rat basophilic leukemia (RBL) cells, the increase in cytosolic [Ca2+] subsequent to antigen challenge was reduced from 174 +/- 23.28% (1 mM) to 82.74 +/- 13.22% (3 mM). We conclude that a single treatment with Mg2+ can considerably diminish damage induced by immune stress, probably by its altering the Ca2+: Mg2+ ratio. Since the physiological reaction to different types of stress is similar, Mg2+ could prove beneficial in preventing stress-induced shock in general. Studies examining the mechanisms by which Mg2+ exerts its effects thus provide a scientific basis for the current clinical use of Mg2+ in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and asthma.
Kusniec
F
F
Department of Hormone Research, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
Fischer
G
G
Sela
B A
BA
Ashkenazy
Y
Y
Feigel
D
D
Moshonov
S
S
Zor
U
U
D000707:Anaphylaxis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D003600:Cytosol / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D015471:Leukemia, Basophilic, Acute / Q000473:pathology; D008274:Magnesium / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D015636:Magnesium Chloride / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008275:Magnesium Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D000941:Antigens; D015636:Magnesium Chloride; D008274:Magnesium; D002118:Calcium