10th International Magnesium Symposium Schedule of Events

31
Relation of hypertension and atherosclerosis: 1H- and 31P-NMR spectroscopy
of free Mg, plasma membrane and circulating lipids in hypertension
Lawrence M. Resnick 1 , Raj K. Gupta 2 . 1 New York Presbyterian Hospital / Cornell U.
NY, NY, USA and 2 Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, N.Y.
LMResnick@aol.com
To study the linkage between lipids and ions in hypertension we utilized 1H- and
31P-NMR spectroscopy to measure RBC intracellular free Mg (Mgi), compared with
the degree of fatty acid unsaturation (DB/CH3), delta-5-unstaurated fatty acids (delta-
5/CH3, including arachidonate, DHA, EPA), fatty acid chain length (CL), and relative
cholesterol content (Chol/PC) in lipids extracted from RBC membranes and plasma
of normal (Nl), untreated (EH) and treated (EH-Rx) essential hypertensive subjects.
Compared to Nl, EH had lower Mgi (168 vs 202 mcM, p=0.01), and greater chol/PC
content (p=0.03), with lower fatty acid CL (p=0.05), delta-5/CH3 (p=0.02) and
DB/CH3 in membranes (p=0.006) and plasma (p=0.008). DB/CH3 (r=0.795, p=0.001)
and chol/PC (r=0.566, p=0.04) in plasma vs membrane fractions were closely
related. Altogether, Mgi was directly related to CL (r=0.711, p=0.002) and DB/CH3
(r=0.54, p=0.02), and inversely related to chol/PC (r=-0.563, p=0.01). Clinically, DBP
was inversely related to Mgi (r=-0.622, p=0.002) and DB/CH3 (plasma-r=0.735,
p=0.005; membranes r=-0.8, p=0.001); and positively related to chol/PC (plasmar=0.689,
p=0.02). These data demonstrate significant linkage of deficient Mgi with
shorter, more saturated fatty acids and increased cholesterol content in EH. These
data suggest how altered lipid metabolism may influence Mg, an established
determinant of arterial stiffness and blood pressure, and thus also the relation of
atherosclerosis and hypertension.