The changes in the antioxidant status of heart during experimental hypomagnesemia in balb/c mice.

The present experiment was performed to assess if hypomagnesemia can influence antioxidant status in mice heart. The results could explain possibly a free radical theory of heart damage in magnesium deficiency. We used a rodent model of hypomagnesemia. The magnesium sufficient group received a standard diet whereas a magnesium deficient group received the diet containing a trace amount of magnesium. The activities of the most important antioxidant enzymes--catalase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase were assessed in mice heart and liver in a time dependent manner, on the 10th and the 20th day of experiment. The level of magnesium in plasma of animals receiving the magnesium deficient diet dropped twice after the 8th day and four times after the 13th day and then reached a plateau value. The activity of catalase in heart in the magnesium deficient group increased gradually and was significantly (P < 0.05) elevated by 27% on the 20th day of experiment whereas the superoxide dismutase activity was significantly decreased by 17% on the 20th day. Glutathione peroxidase activity was insignificantly elevated. The alterations of antioxidant enzyme activities in the heart indicate cardiomyocytes's exposure to oxidative stress, which can be responsible for the cardiac lesions observed during hypomagnesemia.

Analysis of antioxidant enzyme activity and magnesium level in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

There is an increasing interest in the relationship of hypomagnesemia and oxidative stress in pulmonary diseases. It seems to be clinically relevant to assess prooxidant/antioxidant balance and its correlation with magnesium level in COPD. In this study, there were investigated the antioxidant enzymes activity and magnesium plasma level in a group of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and in the control group. The study group consisted of 41 patients admitted to hospital for ambulatory medical treatment in pulmonary department of the Medical University of Lublin. The control group was made up of 20 patients who were admitted for control examinations. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity were assessed in red blood cells using kinetics methods. Significantly decreased activity of CAT in COPD, insignificantly decreased activity of GPX and insignificantly increased activity of SOD were detected. Patients with COPD also showed the lowered plasma magnesium level. The conclusion is that COPD is accompanied by a lowered magnesium level and an alteration in antioxidant status due to possible oxidative stress in this disease.