To evaluate the potential risk of arteriosclerosis caused by desalinated seawater, Wistar rats were provided desalinated seawater over a 1-year period, and blood samples were collected at 0, 90, 180, and 360 days. Blood calcium, magnesium, and arteriosclerosis-related indicators were investigated. Female rats treated with desalinated seawater for 180 days showed lower magnesium levels than the control rats (P < 0.05). The calcium and magnesium levels in female rats and the magnesium level in male rats were lower than the levels in the controls, following treatment with desalinated seawater for 360 days (P < 0.05). Blood levels of arteriosclerosis-related lipid peroxidation indicators and C-reactive protein (CRP) in the treatment group did not differ from those in the controls. The levels of lipid peroxidation indicators and CRP in rats were not significantly affected by drinking desalinated seawater, and no increase in risk of arteriosclerosis was observed.
Animals ; Arteriosclerosis ; chemically induced ; Calcium ; blood ; Female ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Magnesium ; blood ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Seawater ; chemistry ; Sodium Chloride ; chemistry

BACKGROUNDFibromyalgia is a syndrome characterized by chronic pain, fatigue, depression, and sleep disturbances. Its primary cause is unclear. Several studies have reported decreased intracellular magnesium levels in patients with fibromyalgia and have found negative correlation between magnesium levels and fibromyalgia symptoms.

OBJECTIVETo gather preliminary data on whether transdermal magnesium can improve quality of life for women who have fibromyalgia.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONSThis is a patient questionnaires and survey in a fibromyalgia clinic at a tertiary medical center. Forty female patients with the diagnosis of fibromyalgia were enrolled. Each participant was provided a spray bottle containing a transdermal magnesium chloride solution and asked to apply 4 sprays per limb twice daily for 4 weeks. Participants were asked to complete the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, SF-36v2 Health Survey, and a quality-of-life analog scale at baseline, week 2, and week 4.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREQuestionnaire and survey scores, evaluated through intent-to-treat and per-protocol analyses.

RESULTSTwenty-four patients completed the study (mean [SD] age, 57.2 [7.6] years; white, 95%; mean body mass index, 31.3 kg/m2). With intention-to-treat analysis, Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire subscale and total scores were significantly improved at week 2 and week 4 (total score, P=0.001). Per-protocol analysis results were similar: all subscales of the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire were significantly improved at week 2 and week 4 (total score, P=0.001).

CONCLUSIONThis pilot study suggests that transdermal magnesium chloride applied on upper and lower limbs may be beneficial to patients with fibromyalgia.

TRIAL REGISTRATIONClinicalTrials.gov.ldentifier NCT01968772.

Administration, Cutaneous ; Aged ; Feasibility Studies ; Female ; Fibromyalgia ; drug therapy ; psychology ; Humans ; Magnesium Chloride ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Middle Aged ; Pilot Projects ; Quality of Life

BACKGROUND: Magnesium, ropivacaine, gentamicin, and rocuronium block neuromuscular (NM) transmission by different mechanisms. Therefore, concurrent administration of these agents may induce prolonged muscle paralysis via synergistic interaction. This study investigated the efficacy and safety of NM block caused by the administration of high concentrations of magnesium in combination with ropivacaine, gentamicin, and rocuronium. METHODS: Eighty-three left phrenic nerve-hemidiaphragms from male SD rats (150-250 g) were hung in Krebs solution. Three consecutive single twitch tension (ST, 0.1 Hz) and one tetanic tension (TT, 50 Hz for 1.9 s) were obtained before drug application and at each new drug concentration. The concentration of MgCl2 and MgSO4 in Krebs solution was increased until an 80 to 90% reduction in ST was reached. To test the effects of combinations of NM agents, a Krebs solution was premixed with MgCl2 alone, MgCl2 and ropivacaine, or MgCl2, ropivacaine, and gentamicin. The concentration of ropivacaine, gentamicin, or rocuronium was then progressively increased until an 80 to 90% reduction in ST was reached. The effective concentrations were estimated with a probit model. RESULTS: The potency of MgCl2 was greater than that of MgSO4, and pretreatment with MgCl2 increased the potency of gentamicin and rocuronium. Unexpectedly, MgCl2 did not potentiate ropivacaine, and the potency of gentamicin and rocuronium failed to show an increase when premixed with 0.5 microM ropivacaine. CONCLUSIONS: The concomitant administration of high concentrations of magnesium and ropivacaine together with clinically relevant concentrations of gentamicin or rocuronium potentiated NM blockade but not with clinically relevant concentrations of ropivacaine.
Animals ; Gentamicins* ; Humans ; Magnesium Chloride ; Magnesium* ; Male ; Neuromuscular Blockade* ; Paralysis ; Rats

Entomopathogenic fungi are promising pest-control agents but their industrial applicability is limited by their thermosusceptibility. With an aim to increase the thermotolerance of Isaria fumosorosea SFP-198, moisture absorbents were added to dried conidial powder, and the relationship between its water potential and thermotolerance was investigated. Mycotized rice grains were dried at 10degrees C, 20degrees C, 30degrees C, and 40degrees C and the drying effect of each temperature for 24, 48, 96, and 140 hr was determined. Drying for 48 hr at 10degrees C and 20degrees C reduced the moisture content to < 5% without any significant loss of conidial thermotolerance, but drying at 30degrees C and 40degrees C reduced both moisture content and conidial thermotolerance. To maintain thermotolerance during storage, moisture absorbents, such as calcium chloride, silica gel, magnesium sulfate, white carbon, and sodium sulfate were individually added to previously dried-conidial powder at 10% (w/w). These mixtures was then stored at room temperature for 30 days and subjected to 50degrees C for 2 hr. The white carbon mixture had the highest conidial thermotolerance, followed by silica gel, magnesium sulfate, and then the other absorbents. A significant correlation between the water potential and conidial thermotolerance was observed in all conidia-absorbent mixtures tested in this study (r = -0.945). Conidial thermotolerance in wet conditions was evaluated by adding moisturized white carbon (0~20% H2O) to conidia to mimic wet conditions. Notably, the conidia still maintained their thermotolerance under these conditions. Thus, it is evident that conidial thermotolerance can be maintained by drying mycotized rice grains at low temperatures and adding a moisture absorbent, such as white carbon.
Calcium Chloride ; Carbon ; Edible Grain ; Fungi ; Magnesium Sulfate ; Silica Gel ; Sodium ; Spores, Fungal ; Water

Gitelman syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive hereditary salt-losing tubulopathy, that manifests as hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis, hypomagnesemia, and hypocalciuria. It is caused by mutations in the solute carrier family 12(sodium/chloride transporters), member 3 (SLC12A3) gene encoding the thiazide-sensitive sodium chloride cotransporter channel (NCCT) in the distal convoluted tubule of the kidney. It is associated with muscle weakness, cramps, tetany, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and growth retardation. The incidence of growth retardation, the exact cause of which is unknown, is lower than that of Bartter syndrome. Herein, we discuss the case of an overweight 12.9-year-old girl of short stature presenting with hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis. The patient, on the basis of detection of a heterozygous mutation in the SLC12A3 gene and poor growth hormone (GH) responses in two provocative tests, was diagnosed with Gitelman syndrome combined with complete GH deficiency. GH treatment accompanied by magnesium oxide and potassium replacement was associated with a good clinical response.
Abdominal Pain ; Alkalosis ; Bartter Syndrome ; Diarrhea ; Gitelman Syndrome ; Growth Hormone ; Humans ; Incidence ; Kidney ; Magnesium Oxide ; Muscle Cramp ; Muscle Weakness ; Overweight ; Potassium ; Sodium Chloride Symporters ; Tetany ; Vomiting

OBJECTIVETo analyze the clinical and laboratory characteristics of Gitelman syndrome.

METHODSSeventeen patients with Gitelman syndrome (male/female: 11/6) were analyzed for their clinical symptoms, laboratory test results, imaging findings, treatments and outcomes.

RESULTSFifteen of the 17 patients presented with varying degrees of lower limb weakness, and 8 experienced flaccid paralysis. The laboratory tests showed hypokalemia (17/17), hypomagnesemia (17/17) and hypocalcemia (17/17). Blood renin activity (17/17), angiotensin II (14/17) and aldosterone levels (7/17) were significantly higher in the patients than in normal subjects. The symptoms were relieved by potassium alone or in combination with indomethacin, spironolactone and other potassium magnesium asparaginate, but the serum potassium and magnesium failed to recover the normal levels after the treatments.

CONCLUSIONThe primary clinical manifestations of Gitelman syndrome are lower extremity weakness with hypokalemia and hypomagnesemia. Combined drug therapies including potassium, magnesium, aldosterone antagonists and other drugs are recommended. The prognosis of the patients is favorable.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Female ; Gitelman Syndrome ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Indomethacin ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Potassium Chloride ; therapeutic use ; Potassium Magnesium Aspartate ; therapeutic use ; Retrospective Studies ; Spironolactone ; therapeutic use ; Young Adult

Four strains of fowl adenovirus (FAdV) were isolated from 4 flocks of broiler or layer chickens affected by hydropericardium syndrome in Korea. These FAdVs were classified as serotype 4 by restriction fragment length polymorphism patterns of hexon genes and whole genomes. The virus exhibited cytopathic effects consisting of rounding, ballooning and clustering in primary chicken embryo liver cell cultures. In transmission electron microscopy, virus particles in hexagonal shape aggregated exclusively in the nuclei of hepatocytes of the chickens as the typical appearances in adenovirus infections. Buoyant density of the virus in cesium chloride (CsCl) was 1.34 g/mL. The virus was stable to chloroform, ether, 50~70% ethanol, acidic condition at pH 3, 0.25% trypsin (1 : 250), heat at 50degrees C for 30 min, but labile to 100% ethanol, heat at 52~60degrees C for 30 min, 1 M MgCl2 at 50degrees C for 1 h, 1 : 2,000 formalin (37%). All of the physicochemical properties pertained to the characteristics of adenoviruses. Eight viral polypeptides were determined in CsCl-purified virus by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.
Adenoviridae ; Adenoviridae Infections ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cesium ; Chickens ; Chlorides ; Chloroform ; Electrophoresis ; Embryonic Structures ; Ethanol ; Ether, Ethyl ; Formaldehyde ; Genome ; Hepatocytes ; Hot Temperature ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Korea ; Liver ; Magnesium Chloride ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Peptides ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Sodium ; Trypsin ; Virion ; Viruses

Spores of Aspergillus sp. SU14 were treated repeatedly and sequentially with Co60 gamma-rays, ultraviolet irradiation, and N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. One selected mutant strain, Aspergillus sp. SU14-M15, produced cellulase in a yield 2.2-fold exceeding that of the wild type. Optimal conditions for the production of cellulase by the mutant fungal strain using solid-state fermentation were examined. The medium consisted of wheat-bran supplemented with 1% (w/w) urea or NH4Cl, 1% (w/w) rice starch, 2.5 mM MgCl2, and 0.05% (v/w) Tween 80. Optimal moisture content and initial pH was 50% (v/w) and 3.5, respectively, and optimal aeration area was 3/100 (inoculated wheat bran/container). The medium was inoculated with 25% 48 hr seeding culture and fermented at 35degrees C for 3 days. The resulting cellulase yield was 8.5-fold more than that of the wild type strain grown on the basal wheat bran medium.
Aspergillus ; Cellulase ; Dietary Fiber ; Fermentation ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Magnesium Chloride ; Methylnitronitrosoguanidine ; Polysorbates ; Seeds ; Spores ; Sprains and Strains ; Starch ; Triticum ; Urea

PURPOSE: We established radiolabeling conditions of NOTA and DOTA with a generator-produced PET radionuclide 68Ga and studied in vitro characteristics such as stability, serum protein binding, octanol/water distribution, and interference with other metal ions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Various concentrations of NOTA.3HCl and DOTA.4HCl were labeled with 1 mL 68GaCl3 (0.18~5.75 mCi in 0.1 M HCl) in various pH. NOTA.3HCl (0.373 mM) was labeled with 68GaCl3 (0.183~0.232 mCi/0.1 M HCl 1.0 mL) in the presense of CuCl2, FeCl2, InCl3, FeCl3, GaCl3, MgCl2 or CaCl2 (0~6.07 mM) at room temperature. The labeling efficiencies of 68Ga-NOTA and 68Ga-DOTA were checked by ITLC-SG using acetone or saline as mobile phase. Stabilities, protein bindings, and octanol distribution coefficients of the labeled compounds also were investigated. RESULTS: 68Ga-NOTA and 68Ga-DOTA were labeled optimally at pH 6.5 and pH 3.5, respectively, and the chelates were stable for 4 hr either in the reaction mixture at room temperature or in the human serum at 37 degreesC. NOTA was labeled at room temperature while DOTA required heating for labeling. 68Ga-NOTA labeling efficiency was reduced by CuCl2, FeCl2, InCl2, FeCl3 or GaCl3, however, was not influenced by MgCl2 or CaCl2. The protein binding was low (2.04~3.32%). Log P value of 68Ga-NOTA was -3.07 indicating high hydrophilicity. CONCLUSION: We found that NOTA is a better bifunctional chelating agent than DOTA for 68Ga labeling. Although, 68Ga-NOTA labeling is interfered by various metal ions, it shows high stability and low serum protein binding.
Acetone ; Copper ; Electrons ; Enzyme Multiplied Immunoassay Technique ; Gallium ; Heating ; Heterocyclic Compounds ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions ; Ions ; Magnesium Chloride ; Protein Binding ; Protein Stability

OBJECTIVE: To explore the objective evidence of the corpus biochemical changes in rabbits for postmortem diagnosis of potassium intoxication. METHODS: Rabbits were sacrificed by Infusion of 0.3% KCl at full speed push or 1% KCl at 100 drip/min, respectively, with normal rabbits used as control. Cardiac blood and urine samples were collected before and after potassium infusion to examine the concentrations of various electrolytes (K+, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl-, and HCO3-) and to observe the antemortem and postmortem biochemical changes. RESULTS: The mean lethal infusion time in the 0.3%KCl group was longer than that in the 1% KCl group (P = 0.006). The serum concentration of K+ increased while the serum concentrations of Na+, Ca2+, Cl-, and HCO3- decreased after the infusion. There were no statistically significant differences in the whole blood concentration of K+ as well as the serum concentration of Mg2+ between the two groups (P = 0.062). There were statistically significant differences in the concentrations of whole blood K+, as well as serum Na+, Mg2+, and Cl-, but not in the serum K+, Ca2+, and HCO3-. There were no statistically significant differences seen in the urine volumes and the concentrations of all the urine electrolytes between the groups. CONCLUSION Examination of the concentrations of K+ both in the whole blood and serum, as well as Mg2+ in the serum may be helpful for postmortem diagnosis of potassium intoxication.
Animals ; Calcium/urine* ; Electrolytes/urine* ; Forensic Medicine/methods* ; Injections, Intravenous/methods* ; Magnesium/urine* ; Male ; Postmortem Changes ; Potassium/poisoning* ; Potassium Chloride/administration & dosage* ; Rabbits ; Sodium/urine*