Magnesium: Current Status and New Developments

This book presents the lectures and posters of some of the main leaders in the field of th magnesium research and medical applications delivered at the 8 International Symposium on Magnesium, which took place on 5-9 October, 1997 in Heraklion, Crete under the chairmanship of Professor Theophilos Theophanides. The meeting was sponsored by the National Technical University of Athens and Ministry of Industry, Energy and Technology. The aim of this meeting was to promote research and applications of magnesium and interface between medical doctors, clinicians and scientists in order to understand the mechanisms responsible for magnesium involvement in the pathogenesis of diseases, its biological significance, metabolism and many other utilizations which are associated with membranes and cells. The success of this interface is due to the contribution of its participants who came from all continents and to their high scientific level. The topics, which were presented, and the questions, which were asked, concerned mechanisms of mode of action of free magnesium cations, Mg2+, hydrated cations, 2 Mg2+. 6 HP, and magnesium linked cations Mg +.LxH 0, where L: ligand and x = 2 1...6 Hp. We would like to express our utmost gratitude to the sponsers and to extend our deep appreciation and thanks to all those who helped and encouraged the scientific and material organization of this meeting. We wish to thank all the members of the scientific committee and the organizing committee.

I. Introduction.- Magnesium: An Introduction to its Supramolecular Chemistry and Biology.- Neurodegenerative Diseases and Magnesium Status.- II. Biology-Chemistry-Analytical.- Secretagogue-Evoked Magnesium and Calcium Transport in Mouse Pancreatic Acinar Cells.- Extracellular Mg2+ Effects Intracellular Signalling Processes and Acid Secretion in Rat Parietal Cells.- Characterization of Magnesium Transport from Rat, Pig, Cow and Human Erythrocytes.- Chemical Aspects of Heterogeneous Mg-Containing Apatites.- FT-IR Studies of Propofol-Magnesium Interactions.- Magnesium Ions -Guanosine-5’-Monophosphate Complexes: A Spectroscopy Study.- Supramolecular Mg(II) Complexes of Cytosine and 1-Methylcytosine.- Synthesis and NMR Spectroscopic Studies of a New Magnesium Antibiotic Compound.- Spectrophotometric Determination of Magnesium in Serum Using Xylidyl Blue Reagent in Micellar Medium.- III. Toxicology.- Influence of Four Non-Steroid Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (Naproxen, Tolmetin, Tolfenamic Acid and Voltaren) and one Antibiotic (Monensin) on Magnesium Concentrations in Guinea Pig or Rat Tissues.- Influence of Inositolhexaphosphoric Acid (Phytic Acid) on the Distribution and the Excretion of Magnesium in Rat Tissues.- Changes of Magnesium Concentrations in Rat Tissues after the Administration of Drugs Used in Hypertension Therapy.- Magnesium in Rabbits Submitted to Prolonged Lead or Cadmium Intoxication.- Influence of Norfloxacin on Magnesium Concentrations in Rat Tissues and Urine.- IV. Agriculture.- Magnesium Ligands in Ileal Digesta of Piglets Fed Skim Milk and Soybean Flour.- Magnesium Ions Hinder the Growth of Coleoptyl in Deuterium Depleted Water.- The Effect of Deuterium Depleted Medium on Plant Tumors.- Connection between the Magnesium Content of the Medium and the Growth of the Genetically Transformed Lobella Inflata.- V. Metabolism.- Magnesium in Liver Cirrhosis.- Atherogenic Lipid Fractions are Related to Free Magnesium Ion Status.- Magnesium and Oxidative Stress Status in Patients with Chronic Fatigue.- Self-Care Management for the Patients with Normomagnesemia Magnesium Deficiency.- Magnesium Metabolism and Physical Exercise in Humans.- In Vitro Effect of Glucose on Intralymphocyte Free Magnesium.- Serum Magnesium and Lipid Profile in Children with Controlled Insulin Depended Diabetes Mellitus.- Magnesium in Thermoregulation.- Interrelations between Magnesium and Tbars in Different Rat Tissues, after Administration of Ginseng.- Cholesterol Metabolism in Human Umpilical Arterial Endothelial Cells Cultured in Low Magnesium Media.- Childhood Obesity, Insulin Resistance, and Magnesium Metabolism.- VI. Nutrition.- Effect of Nutrients on Calcium and Magnesium in Bone.- Magnesium and Calcium Contents in Reform Cereal Foods and Uptake of these Elements.- Magnesium in Digesta of Horses Fed Diets Containing Different Amounts of Phytate.- Influence of Different Dietary Magnesium and Calcium Intake Levels on the Behavior of 28Mg and Magnesium in Mice.- Dietary Magnesium Intake in French Adult Population.- Growth Check and Magnesium Imbalance on Young Rats by over Intakes of Calcium.- VII. Cardiovascular Diseases.- Neuropeptides, Free Radical Stress and Antioxidants in Models of Mg-Deficient Cardiomyopathy.- The Diuretic-Magnesium Question in Heart Failure.- Minding Magnesium while Treating Essential Hypertension with Diurectics.- Diuretics and Magnesium: Clinical Pharmacology in Healthy Subjects.- Alterations of Serum Magnesium under Chronic Therapy with Diuretics and/or Angiotensin - Converting Enzyme Inhibitors in Hypertensive Patients.- Cardiac Arrhythmias in Magnesium Deficiency. Studies on Rat Model.- Hypomagnesemia in Long QT Syndrome.- Effect of Metabolic Inhibitors and Ischaemia on Contractile Force and Magnesium Efflux in the Isolated Perfused Rat Heart.- The Influence of Mg2+ and Zn2+ on Vascular Effect of Angiotensine Conversion Enzyme Inhibitors.- A Unique Non-Invasive Intracellular Magnesium Assay Correlating with Cardiac Tissues, Arrhythmias, and Therapeutic Intervention.- Physiological and Pharmacological Role of Magnesium in Acute Myocardial Infarction.- Magnesium in Acute Myocardial Infarction (the MAMI Study): Effect of Early Versus Late Magnesium Administration on Ck-Levels.- Changes in Platelet, Erythrocyte and Plasma Magnesium Levels in Normotensive and Hypertensive Obeses during Oral Glucose Tolerance Test.- The Role of Magnesium: A Natural Calcium Antagonist in the Treatment of Acute Ischaemic Stroke.- Does Cardiac Ischemia Induce Lowering of Blood Ionized Magnesium Level in Patients?.- Effect of Ouabain on the Behavior of 28Mg in the Mice Myocardium.- Experimental and Clinical Controversies in the Antiischemic and Antiarrhythmic Effects of Magnesium Sulfate.- Influence of Magnesium on the Aortic Vasorelaxation in Adult and Old Rats. Magnesium Age and Vasorelaxation.- The Use of Magnesium Preparations - Kormagnesin and Magnerot in Cardiological Practice.- Serum and Erythrocyte Magnesium in Patients with Unstable Angina Pectoris during and in the Absence of Crisis.- Relationship between Magnesium Parameters, Lipid Profile and Peroxidation Levels in Healthy Children.- VIII. Renal.- Association between Magnesium and Hypertension: Speculation or Fact?.- Does Serum Magnesium Concentration Prevent Mitral Annular Calcification in Hemodialysis Patients?.- Furosemide-Like Natriuretic Actions of Genistein without Effects on Magnesiuresis.- Platelet, Erythrocyte and Plasma Magnesium Levels in Renal Transplant Recipients during Cyclosporin or Azathioprine Treatment.- IX. Immunology.- Magnesium, Inflammation and Pain.- Increased Apoptosis and Free Radical Production in Thymus of Magnesium- Deficient Rats: Implications to Enhanced Thymus Involution and Immunity.- Magnesium Deficiency Enhances Immune Stress Response in Rats: A Cellular Approach.- Effect of Magnesium Administration on Proliferation and Differentiation of Lymphocytes.- X. Miscellaneous.- Magnesium Physiopathology. The Portugese Research.- A Comparative Study of Serum Mg++, Ca++, Cholesterol and Tryglycerides Levels during Total Intravenous Anaesthesia with Propofol Versus Thiopentone/N2O Anaesthesia.- Effects of Magnesium on Spermiogenesis.- Correlation between Human Semen Mg and Hydroxyl Radical Levels and Human Spermiogram.- The Effect of the Addition of Magnesium on the Weight Gain of Heifers and on Fertility Performance and Service Period of Heifers and Cows.- A New Method Development for the Mass Measurement of 26 29Mg and the Excited States Observation via the 12C(16O, 2p) 26Mg and 13C(18O, 2p) 29Mg Nuclear Heavy-Ion Reactions.- New data on the Scavenging Role of Preparation Tiomag in Antioxidant Therapy.- Effect of Mg Therapy on the outcome of Pregnancy in Certain Obstetric Diseases.- Protective Effects of Magnesium on Inner Ear Blood Flow in the Acoustic Trauma. Animal Studies.- Investigations on the Magnesium Status Marker in Humans. The Environmental Variability of the Magnesium Levels in the Hair, Plasma and Erythrocytes of School Children from Poland.- of Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Copper and Iron in Hair of Children and the Young.- Serum Magnesium Evolution as Related to Treatment in Patients with Lung Cancer.- XI. Late Papers.- Magnesium and Atherogenesis.- Vascular Diseases and Ionized Magnesium.- Influence of Magnesium on the Essential Oil Production in Chamomile Cultures.- Author Index.