QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Mills, B. J. Articles by Lindeman, R. D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Mills, B. J. Articles by Lindeman, R. D.

Inhibition of Tumor Growth by Magnesium Depletion of Rats^1,2,

The Louisville Veterans Administration Medical Center, and the Departments of Biochemistry and Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40292

In earlier studies tumor growth was inhibited in rats that first were made magnesium-deficient and subsequently implanted with tumors. The objective of this study was to determine if the reverse sequence is also effective. Namely, is tumor growth inhibited if tumors first are established and then a magnesium deficiency imposed? Rats with palpable mammary adenocarcinomas, or with sham implants were pair-fed either a control or magnesium-deficient diet for 32 days. Rats were then killed and tumors, plasma and several tissues analyzed. In tumors from magnesium-depleted rats, growth was inhibited 46%, magnesium concentration decreased 40% and necrosis was 50% greater. Magnesium depletion alone resulted in a 66% decrease in magnesium and a 29% increase in copper in plasma. Also, depletion caused a decrease in heart zinc and increase in kidney copper concentrations. As a result of tumor growth alone, concentrations of zinc in plasma decreased 40% and copper increased 37%. Rats with tumors also had decreased sodium and increased potassium levels in plasma. To our knowledge this is the first demonstration that the growth of an established tumor can be retarded solely by dietary magnesium depletion and thus may be significant for the nutritional management of tumor patients.

KEY WORDS: • tumor growth • magnesium depletion

¹ This work was supported in part by the Veterans Administration, the Disabled American Veterans (Kentucky Division) and Grant IN-111 from the American Cancer Society.

² The work was presented in abstracts: Mills, B. J., Higgins, P. J., Broghamer, W. L. & Lindeman, R. D. (1982) Inhibition of growth of established tumors by magnesium depletion. Proceedings American College of Nutrition, 23rd Annual Meeting, Arlington, VA, and Proceedings Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, 67th Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL: Mills, B. J., Higgins, P. J., Broghamer, W. L. and Lindeman, R. D. (1983) Magnesium depletion inhibits growth of established tumors. Fed. Proc. 42: 1312.

Manuscript received 30 September 1983.