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Preservation of Exocrine Pancreatic Function in the Magnesium-deficient Rat¹

Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital (Gastrointestinal Division), Boston, Massachusetts

Pancreatic exocrine function was studied in young and adult rats which had been fed a magnesium-deficient diet, and compared with that of pair-fed, magnesium-supplemented controls, and with young rats fed a commercial laboratory ration on an ad libitum basis. No differences were demonstrated in respect to volume, amylase or nitrogen output between the secretions of the test or control animals, either in the resting state or after maximal stimulation with secretin and pancreozymin. Severe magnesium deficiency in young rats produced no depression in the magnesium content of the pancreas, although depletion of serum, red cells, bone, heart and skeletal muscle magnesium was achieved. Chronic dietary deficiency of magnesium in adult rats was not associated with depletion of pancreatic magnesium. The young animals showed the neuromuscular and cardiovascular complications of magnesium deficiency at a time when there was no decrease in pancreatic magnesium. Magnesium deficiency alone is unlikely to play a role in the depression of pancreatic function seen in the hypomagnesemic states which may accompany malnutrition.

Manuscript received 23 May 1968.