title: Dietary magnesium supplementation ameliorates anemia in a mouse model of beta-thalassemia.
abstract: To ascertain the quantitative effect on the disease beta-thalassemia of a low-magnesium (Mg) diet compared with a high-Mg diet and a standard-Mg diet, we studied the effect these diets had over a 4-week period on beta-thalassemic (beta thal) mice compared with normal C57BL/6 mice used as controls. The low-Mg diet consisted of 6 +/- 2 mg Mg/kg body weight/d, the high-Mg diet 1,000 +/- 20 mg Mg/kg body weight/d, and the standard-Mg diet 400 +/- 20 mg Mg/kg body weight/d. Beta thal mice that were fed the low-Mg diet became more anemic, had reduced serum and erythrocyte Mg, and had decreased erythrocyte K. Their K-Cl cotransport increased, followed by commensurate cell dehydration. The high-Mg group showed a significant improvement of the anemia, increased serum and erythrocyte Mg, increased erythrocyte Mg, increased erythrocyte K, reduced K-Cl cotransport, and diminished cell dehydration. C57BL/6 control mice that received the low-Mg diet experienced anemia with erythrocyte dehydration, whereas the high-Mg diet had little effect on the hematologic parameters. Beta thal and C57BL/6 control mice that were fed a standard diet showed no changes. These results indicate that dietary Mg supplementation corrects hypomagnesemia and improves anemia in murine beta thal and should be assessed in human beta-thalassemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: De Franceschi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brugnara
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Beuzard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D001834:Body Water / Q000378:metabolism; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006801:Humans; D008274:Magnesium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008275:Magnesium Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000178:diet therapy; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011188:Potassium / Q000097:blood; D027981:Symporters; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000178:diet therapy*; D000096922:K Cl- Cotransporters
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008274:Magnesium; D011188:Potassium; D027981:Symporters; D000096922:K Cl- Cotransporters