Serum from magnesium-deficient rats affects vascular endothelial cells in culture: role of hyperlipemia and inflammation

Magnesium (Mg) deficit has been implicated as a risk for atherosclerosis. An important characteristic of experimental Mg deficiency in rats is the spontaneous inflammation with marked leukocytosis and increase in plasma concentrations of inflammatory cytokines. This deficiency is also accompanied by hyperlipemia resulting from accumulation of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TGRLP). The present investigation was performed to determine the effect of serum from Mg-deficient animals on cultured vascular endothelial cells. Sera were obtained from control and Mg-deficient rats fed for 8 days adequate or Mg-deficient diets. Mg-deficient animals presented an important leukocytosis and an increased interleukin (IL) 6 concentration in the plasma. Deficient rats were hypertriglyceridemic as compared with control ones, but their cholesterolemia was not modified significantly. Pooled sera from control and Mg-deficient animals were added to the culture medium of human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVEC). The results show that serum from Mg-deficient rats stimulates proliferation of cultured endothelial cells, increases adhesion of monocytes to these cells, and causes an induction of plasminogen activator inhibitor factor 1 (PAI-I) mRNA level in these cells. The present study demonstrates that the inflammatory and hyperlipemic serum from Mg-deficient animals affects various processes in endothelial cells, which are known to be implicated in atherogenesis.