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Query: UMLS:C0004153 (atherosclerosis)
 77,401 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Ageing constitutes a risk factor for magnesium deficit. Primary magnesium deficit originates from two etiological mechanisms: deficiency and depletion. Primary magnesium deficiency is due to insufficient magnesium intake. Dietary amounts of magnesium are marginal in the whole population whatever the age. Nutritional deficiencies are more pronounced in institutionalized than in free-living ageing groups. Primary magnesium depletion is due to dysregulation of factors controlling magnesium status: intestinal magnesium hypoabsorption, reduced magnesium bone uptake and mobilisation, sometimes urinary leakage, hyperadrenoglucocorticism by decreased adaptability to stress, insulin-resistance and adrenergic hyporeceptivity. Secondary magnesium deficit in ageing largely results from various pathologies and treatments common to elderly persons: i.e. non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and use of hypermagnesuric diuretics. Magnesium deficit may participate in the clinical pattern of ageing: mainly neuromuscular, cardiovascular and renal symptomatologies. The consequences of hyperadrenoglucocorticism--whose non response to dexamethasone suppression test appears the simplest marker--may concern immunosuppression, muscle atrophy, centralization of fat mass, osteoporosis, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, atherosclerosis, disturbances in mood and mental performances through accelerated hippocampal ageing particularly. Treatment of magnesium deficiency requires simple oral physiological magnesium supplementation. Treatment of the different types of magnesium depletion leads to a more or less specific control of pathophysiological disturbances of the required magnesium substrate. Open and double blind studies on the effects of the treatments of magnesium deficiency and of magnesium depletions in geriatic populations are too scarce. Further study is necessary to assess the accurate place of magnesium deficit in the physiopathology of ageing.
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PMID:Magnesium status and ageing: an update. 959 47

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is an inflammatory oxidant which contributes to the pathogenesis of chronic diseases such as lung injury of the respiratory tract, atherosclerosis and cancer. The mechanisms and target sites of this reactive oxidant are mainly unknown. So far there are opposing reports as to whether reactive oxidants inhibit or promote apoptosis. We activated the death pathway in primary tracheobronchial epithelial (TBE) cells with H2O2 (20-200 microM) and observed the morphological changes, DNA laddering patterns, and DNA fragmentation associated with apoptosis. Elevation of ceramide with exogenous ceramide analogs was sufficient for apoptosis induction with the same characteristics and in the same time frame. H2O2 induced rapid sphingomyelin hydrolysis to ceramide, the elevation of which paralleled the induction of apoptosis. Furthermore, H2O2 acted directly on TBE cells membrane preparations devoid of nuclei, stimulating sphingomyelin hydrolysis through a neutral Mg2+ dependent sphingomyelinase (SMase). These data suggest that the formation of ceramide from sphingomyelin in the plasma membrane is a key event in H2O2-induced apoptosis in tracheobronchial epithelial cells.
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PMID:H2O2 acts on cellular membranes to generate ceramide signaling and initiate apoptosis in tracheobronchial epithelial cells. 976 15

Advanced mineralization can cause brittleness of aortic walls with decreased elasticity thereby causing the wall to rupture. Although the precise mechanisms of dystrophic calcification remain unknown, morphological evidence reveals the presence of mineral-associated vesicles in the lesions and defective bioprosthetic valves. In an attempt to demonstrate the calcifiability of the vesicles, small segments of human atherosclerotic aortas with calcified lesions were removed at autopsy and then digested in a crude collagenase solution to release vesicles. A differential centrifugation was then used to isolate calcifiable vesicles, which was precipitated at 300,000 x g for 20 min. An exposure of the vesicles to a calcifying medium containing physiologic levels of Ca2+, Pi, and 1 mM ATP caused Ca deposition in a vesicle protein-concentration dependent manner. The calcifiability of the vesicles was further demonstrated by electron microscopy. Fourier transform spectroscopic analysis of the deposited mineral revealed the presence of a hydroxyapatite phase, closely resembling the native form of mineral in atherosclerotic plaques. In addition, calcifiable vesicles were enriched in ATP-hydrolyzing enzymes including Mg2+ or Ca2+-ATPase and NTP pyrophosphohydrolase that may be involved in normal and pathological calcification. Triton X-100 at 0.01% abolished 80% of both ATPase activity and ATP-initiated calcification. A comparison of vesicles isolated from non-atherosclerotic and atherosclerotic aortas indicated that atherosclerotic vesicles tended to have higher calcifiability. These observations suggest that the calcifiable vesicles play a part in dystrophic calcification of aortas in atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis 1999 Apr
PMID:Isolation of calcifiable vesicles from human atherosclerotic aortas. 1021 64

There is an increased interest in the role of magnesium ions in clinical medicine, nutrition and physiology. The characteristics of the binding of magnesium and calcium ions to various components, macromolecules and biological membranes are described. Magnesium affects many cellular functions, including transport of potassium and calcium ions, and modulates signal transduction, energy metabolism and cell proliferation. The mechanism of cellular uptake and efflux of magnesium, its intracellular transport, intestinal absorption, renal excretion and the effect of hormones on these are reviewed. Magnesium deficiency is not uncommon among the general population: its intake has decreased over the years especially in the western world. The magnesium supplementation or intravenous infusion may be beneficial in various diseased states. Of special interest is the magnesium status in alcoholism, eclampsia, hypertension, atherosclerosis, cardiac diseases, diabetes, and asthma. The development of instrumentation for the assay of ionized magnesium is reviewed, as are the analytical procedures for total magnesium in blood and free magnesium in the cytosol. The improved procedures for the assay of different magnesium states are useful in understanding the role of magnesium in health and disease.
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PMID:Magnesium. An update on physiological, clinical and analytical aspects. 1072 69

Magnesium, an important cofactor of more than 300 enzymes, has previously been found to modulate blood lipid levels, atherogenesis and atherosclerosis in rabbits, when added to their diet. The aim of this study was to examine whether magnesium fortification of drinking water, without a change in diet content, can affect atherogenesis. The study included six groups of LDL-receptor-deficient mice. The mice received either distilled water or water containing 50 g of magnesium sulfate per liter. In the first (12 weeks) and second (6 weeks) stages of the experiment, the mice received low- and high-cholesterol diets, respectively. At the end of each stage, blood was drawn for the determination of plasma magnesium, calcium and lipid levels. In addition, the extent of atherosclerosis was determined at the aortic sinus. In both males and females, magnesium fortification was associated with higher levels of plasma magnesium (50 and 37% increase, respectively), without any differences in plasma calcium content. The extent of atherosclerosis at the aortic sinus in the male mice that received high levels of magnesium was a third of that of the male mice that received distilled water. However, these differences were not found in the female groups. Surprisingly, the female mice that received water fortified with magnesium had higher levels of cholesterol after stage 2, whereas no differences regarding plasma lipid levels were found among the male mice. These results confirm that magnesium fortification of drinking water is capable of inhibiting atherogenesis in male LDL-receptor-deficient mice. The mechanisms of action are yet to be discovered, and are probably not related to diminished lipid excretion, but possibly to the prevention of calcium influx into vascular smooth muscle cells, elevated antioxidative capacity, or other yet undetermined mechanisms.
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PMID:Magnesium fortification of drinking water suppresses atherogenesis in male LDL-receptor-deficient mice. 1073 83

Magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) concentrations were determined in the abdominal aorta of 28 patients who died by acute myocardial infarction (AMI), of 52 by ischemic heart disease (IHD) and of 26 subjects deceased by accidents or from causes other than atherosclerosis. Mg concentration in the fibrous and calcareous plaques, was significantly lower than in controls. The lowest Mg values were found in those who died by AMI. Calcium concentration, especially in the calcareous plaques, was enormous as against the controls. The four-seven times decreases of Mg/Ca ratio compared with the controls imply an alteration of the arterial wall cells. Magnesium deficit in the arterial wall probably plays a certain role in this process.
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PMID:Magnesium and calcium concentration in the abdominal aorta of patients deceased by ischemic heart disease. 1076 Nov 89

Milk lipoproteins (MLPs) are structurally and biochemically similar to blood lipoproteins, which allow the former to be used as model objects for studying the properties of the latter. The results of turbidimetric measurements showed a change in the light scattering from MLP suspensions upon contact with Fe3+ ions in the free from or in chelate complexes with o-phenanthroline and EDTA. No such effect was observed for Fe2+ ions. The effect of Cu2+ ions (in microscopic amounts) was similar to that of Fe3+, while Ca2+ and Mg2+ produce no effect. It was found that 1,1-azabicyclohexanecarbonitrile-2-methylpropionamidine dihydrochloride (an azoinitiator capable of spontaneous decomposition with the formation of peroxide radicals in an oxygen containing-medium) introduced into an MLP suspension produces the same effect as Fe3+ and Cu2+ ions. Study of the particle size distribution in a microcapillary by the method of impedance measurements showed that a change in the light scattering from the suspension is caused by the MLP aggregation. The action of aggregation factors upon the MLPs led to their oxidation, as indicated by accumulation of the TBA-active products. The ability of copper ions to oxidize MLPs agrees with the data reported on the copper-ion-induced oxidation of blood lipoproteins, which was observed in studying a relationship between this oxidation and clinical manifestations of atherosclerosis. Thus, pronounced oxidation of both milk an blood lipoproteins in the presence of microscopic amounts of copper ions is indicative of a similarity of these processes. The process of lipoprotein aggregation induced by various oxidizing agents is inhibited by sodium ascorbate and serotonin. At the same time, beta-naphthol (an antioxidant soluble in lipids) does not affect the aggregation process. It is suggested that the oxidative aggregation of lipoproteins mag be related to the problem of atherogenesis and thrombogenesis.
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PMID:[Inhibitory effects of serotonin and sodium ascorbate on the oxidative aggregation of lipoproteins]. 1093 96

Sphingomyelin and its metabolic products are now known to have second messenger functions in a variety of cellular signaling pathways. At the epicenter of the sphingomyelin--cell signaling pathway is a family of phospholipases called sphingomyelinases. These enzymes cleave sphingomyelin to produce ceramide and phosphocholine. Ceramide in turn serves as a lipid second messenger that induces a variety of cell regulatory phenomenon such as programmed cell death (apoptosis), cell differentiation, cell proliferation, and sterol homeostasis. Neutral sphingomyelinase (N-SMase) is a Mg2+ sensitive enzyme that can be activated by a host of physiologically relevant and structurally diverse molecules like tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), oxidized human low density lipoproteins (Ox-LDL), and several growth factors. Large amounts of ceramide accumulate in human fatty streaks and plaques along with Ox-LDL, growth factors, and proinflammatory cytokines in human atherosclerosis. A further role of ceramide and N-SMase in atherosclerosis was uncovered by the finding that Ox-LDL and TNF-alpha stimulated N-SMase activity. In turn, ceramide and/or a homolog serves as an important stress signaling molecule in signal transduction, which leads to apoptosis. Interestingly, an antibody against N-SMase can abrogate Ox-LDL and TNF-alpha induced apoptosis, and therefore may be useful for additional studies of apoptosis in experimental animals. Overexpression of recombinant human N-SMase in human aortic smooth muscle cells markedly stimulate apoptosis, presumably via the multioligomerization of the 'death domain'. Since plaque stability is an integral aspect of atherosclerosis management, activation of N-SMase and subsequent apoptosis may be vital events in the onset of plaque rupture, stroke and heart failure. In contrast to these observations in human hepatocytes, TNF-alpha mediated N-SMase activation did not induce apoptosis. Rather it stimulated the maturation of sterol regulatory element (SRE) binding protein (SREBP-1). Moreover, a cell permeable ceramide was found to reconstitute the phenomenon above in a sterol-independent fashion. These findings provide alternate avenues for therapy of patients with hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis. The findings reported here suggests that N-SMase plays important cell regulatory roles and provide an exciting opportunity to further these findings to understand the pathophysiology of human disease states.
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PMID:Neutral sphingomyelinase: past, present and future. 1100 63

Advanced arterial wall calcification in atherosclerosis imposes a serious rupturing effect on the aorta. However, the mechanism of dystrophic calcification linked to hyperlipidemia, that causes atherosclerosis remains unknown. Emerging morphological and biochemical evidence reveals that calcifiable vesicles may have a role in plaque calcification. To determine whether a high cholesterol diet can induce arterial calcification and produce or activate calcifiable vesicles in aortas, a rabbit model was used. After 2 months of daily high lipid feeding (supplemented with 2% cholesterol and 6% peanut oil), typical atherosclerotic lesions developed. However, the mineral, if present in aortas, was insufficient to be detected by Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) or alizarin red staining, indicative of a non-calcifying stage of atherosclerosis. Small segments of thoracic aortas were digested in a crude collagenase solution to release calcifiable vesicles. Vesicles were also isolated from normal aortas as control to consider the possibility that membrane vesicles may be produced by crude collagenase digestion, which could cause the degradation of some cells. Calcifiable vesicles were precipitated at 300,000 x g after subcellular particles were removed by centrifugation at 30,000 x g. Calcifiability of isolated vesicles was then tested using calcifying media containing physiological levels of Ca2+ and Pi and 1 mM ATP. Electron microscopic observations showed that the isolated vesicles were heterogeneous in size and shape and capable of depositing electron dense particles. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analysis of the deposited particles revealed the presence of an amorphous mineral phase. The spectroscopic mineral to matrix ratios, related to the amount of mineralization, indicated that vesicles from cholesterol-fed rabbits produced more minerals than control vesicles obtained from the normal aortas. Alizarin red staining for mineral further demonstrated substantially higher calcifiability of the experimental vesicles. A 3-5 h exposure of the vesicles to calcifying media caused significant deposition of 45Ca and 32Pi in a vesicle protein-concentration dependent manner. Similar to previously reported observations with human atherosclerotic aorta vesicles, rabbit vesicles were enriched in ATP-hydrolyzing enzymes including Mg2+- or Ca2+-ATPase and NTP pyrophosphohydrolase that are implicated in normal and pathological calcification. Altogether, these observations suggest that accumulation of the released calcifiable vesicles, as a result of high cholesterol diets, may have a role in dystrophic calcification in hyperlipidemia-related atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis 2000 Dec
PMID:Isolation of calcifiable vesicles from aortas of rabbits fed with high cholesterol diets. 1116 22

Epidemiological studies indicate that dietary magnesium influences atherogenesis. Magnesium inhibits plaque formation in animals receiving a high cholesterol diet, whereas the effect of magnesium in animals on low-fat diet has not been explored. Magnesium sulfate was given in the drinking water (50 mg/mL) to 7-week-old apolipoprotein E-deficient (apoE(-)(/)(-)) mice (n=30). Control animals (n=30) received tap water. At the age of 19 weeks, the extent of atherosclerosis and the density of macrophages were measured in the aortic root, and blood lipids were analyzed. The median plaque area was significantly smaller in magnesium-treated female apoE(-)(/)(-) mice and reached only 66% of control females (P<0.02). Plaque area was also less extensive in magnesium-treated male mice, although not statistically significant. Macrophage density was similar in both groups. Magnesium significantly reduced cholesterol (P<0.05) and triglyceride (P<0.01) levels, whereas high density lipoprotein cholesterol remained stable. No significant differences in body and heart weight were seen between treatment groups for either sex. In conclusion, in apoE(-)(/)(-) mice receiving a low-fat diet, magnesium supplementation significantly inhibited atherogenesis in females but not males. Plaque composition remained unchanged in terms of macrophage density. This was obtained in association with significantly reduced levels of cholesterol and triglycerides.
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PMID:Oral magnesium supplementation induces favorable antiatherogenic changes in ApoE-deficient mice. 1134 87


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