Intracellular free magnesium concentration in healthy horses.
Abstract: Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is a worldwide disease in horses that parallels human diabetes mellitus type 2. In both diseases, patients show an altered peripheral insulin sensitivity as a key feature. In humans, multiple studies have demonstrated the beneficial effect of magnesium supplementation on insulin sensitivity. However, serum magnesium levels vary and are therefore not a reliable indicator of the patients' magnesium status. Determining the intracellular free magnesium concentration appears to be a more sensitive diagnostic indicator. In this study, the free intracellular magnesium concentration was measured using mag-fura 2 spectrophotometry in blood lymphocytes in 12 healthy, non-obese horses at 9 a.m., 12 a.m. and 4 p.m. to establish reference ranges according to a protocol designed for human blood lymphocytes. Additionally, the serum magnesium concentration was measured. In all horses, the total serum magnesium concentration was within the reference range. The mean free magnesium concentration in blood lymphocytes of all horses was 0.291 ± 0.067 mmol/L with no significant difference between the time points. The reference range for the free intracellular magnesium concentration in equine lymphocytes was set at 0.16-0.42 mmol/L. The established values are slightly lower than those in healthy humans. The designed protocol for the measurement of the intracellular free magnesium concentration might be an excellent research tool to assess the cellular magnesium status and to reliably diagnose an altered magnesium homeostasis in EMS. Further studies shall elucidate possible alterations in cellular magnesium status in horses with EMS.
© 2018 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.
Publication Date: 2018-05-09 PubMed ID: 29740897DOI: 10.1111/jpn.12921Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The study established reference ranges for the concentration of free intracellular magnesium in healthy horses, which may prove to be a useful tool for diagnosing and studying Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS), a disease similar to human type 2 diabetes.
Study Overview
- The researchers used mag-fura 2 spectrophotometry to measure the amount of free magnesium in the lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) of 12 healthy, non-obese horses at three different times during the day.
- The study aimed to produce reference ranges for these magnesium levels in healthy horses, similar to ones already established for humans based on lymphocytes.
Findings of the Study
- The study found that all horses had a total serum magnesium concentration (the amount of magnesium in the horse’s serum, a component of blood) within the established reference range.
- Moreover, the average concentration of free magnesium within the lymphocytes of all horses was consistent, with no significant variations between the different time points when the measurements were taken.
- The reference range for free intracellular magnesium in equine lymphocytes was thus set at 0.16 – 0.42 mmol/L. The recorded values are slightly lower than the ones measured in healthy humans.
Significance and Implications
- This study’s findings are important, as they establish the first reference range for free intracellular magnesium concentration in horses.
- These reference ranges could become a useful tool in diagnosing and managing Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS), a disease that shares many similarities with human type 2 diabetes, including altered insulin sensitivity.
- Because serum magnesium levels vary, they aren’t a reliable indicator of a horse’s magnesium status. However, the measurement of intracellular free magnesium concentration, as performed in this study, may provide a more accurate tool for diagnosing EMS.
- The established protocol might also be useful for further research into the cellular magnesium status in horses, and how this affects the development of EMS.
Cite This Article
APA
Winter JC, Sponder G, Merle R, Aschenbach JR, Gehlen H.
(2018).
Intracellular free magnesium concentration in healthy horses.
J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl), 102(5), 1351-1356.
https://doi.org/10.1111/jpn.12921 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Equine Clinic: Surgery and Radiology, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
- Institute of Veterinary Physiology, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
- Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
- Institute of Veterinary Physiology, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
- Equine Clinic: Surgery and Radiology, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Horses / blood
- Horses / metabolism
- Insulin Resistance
- Lymphocytes / chemistry
- Magnesium / metabolism
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Massányi M, Halo M Jr, Massányi P, Mlyneková E, Greń A, Formicki G, Halo M. Changes in haematological and biochemical parameters in blood serum of horses during exposition to workload stress. Heliyon 2022 Dec;8(12):e12241.
- Tomal A, Szłapka-Kosarzewska J, Mironiuk M, Michalak I, Marycz K. Arthrospira platensis enriched with Cr(III), Mg(II), and Mn(II) ions improves insulin sensitivity and reduces systemic inflammation in equine metabolic affected horses. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024;15:1382844.
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