Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T20:40:09.980Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Accelerated thymus involution in magnesium-deficient rats is related to enhanced apoptosis and sensitivity to oxidative stress

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Corinne Malpuech-Brugère ,
Wojciech Nowacki ,
Elyett Gueux ,
Jan Kuryszko ,
Edmond Rock ,
Yves Rayssiguier  and
Andrzej Mazur
Corinne Malpuech-Brugère
Affiliation:
Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine d'Auvergne Unité Maladies Métaboliques et Micronutriments, INRA, Theix, 63122 St-Genès-Champanelle, France
Wojciech Nowacki
Affiliation:
Veterinary Faculty, Academy of Agriculture, 50 375 Wroclaw, Poland
Elyett Gueux
Affiliation:
Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine d'Auvergne Unité Maladies Métaboliques et Micronutriments, INRA, Theix, 63122 St-Genès-Champanelle, France
Jan Kuryszko
Affiliation:
Veterinary Faculty, Academy of Agriculture, 50 375 Wroclaw, Poland
Edmond Rock
Affiliation:
Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine d'Auvergne Unité Maladies Métaboliques et Micronutriments, INRA, Theix, 63122 St-Genès-Champanelle, France
Yves Rayssiguier
Affiliation:
Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine d'Auvergne Unité Maladies Métaboliques et Micronutriments, INRA, Theix, 63122 St-Genès-Champanelle, France
Andrzej Mazur*
Affiliation:
Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine d'Auvergne Unité Maladies Métaboliques et Micronutriments, INRA, Theix, 63122 St-Genès-Champanelle, France
*
*Corresponding author: Dr A. Mazur, fax +33 4 73 62 46 38, [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Experimental Mg deficiency leads to alterations in the immune response. Reduction of thymus weight and histological changes were previously observed in Mg-deficient rats after several weeks on a deficient diet, suggesting that functions of this immune organ may be affected by Mg deficiency. More recently, changes in the immune system during early Mg deficiency were shown. Thus, in the present study we examined modifications in the thymus during the early stages of Mg deficiency in weanling rats. From our results, it appears that Mg deficiency accelerates thymus involution. The assessment of apoptosis (enumeration of apoptotic cells on the basis of morphological criteria and intranucleosomal degradation of genomic DNA) showed greater values in thymuses from Mg-deficient rats as compared with controls. This was observed very early, since a significant difference was shown on the second day of deficiency, before reduced weight of thymus, which was recorded in the later period. These results indicate the relationship of accelerated thymus involution with an active process of cell death. Mg deficiency led to histological changes in the thymus. In the early stage of deficiency (second day) the presence of inflammatory cells was shown, suggesting that the inflammatory process was already occurring in the tissue studied. Later (eighth day) an increased proportion of epithelial reticular cells in the cortex was shown, indicating a remodelling process occurring in this period. Enhanced susceptibility to peroxidation also occurred very early during Mg deficiency. It may be hypothesized that disturbances in Mg status of short duration could have cellular effects with various deleterious consequences.

Keywords

Magnesium deficiencyThymus involutionApoptosis
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 81 , Issue 5 , May 1999 , pp. 405 - 411
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1999

References

Alcock, NW, Shils, ME, Lieberman, PH & Erlandson, RA (1973) Thymic changes in the magnesium-depleted rat. Cancer Research 33, 2196–2204.Google ScholarPubMed
Bala, S & Failla, ML (1993) Copper repletion restores the number and function of CD4 cells in copper-deficient rats. Journal of Nutrition 123, 991–996.Google ScholarPubMed
Bloom, W & Fawcett, DW (1968) A Textbook of Histology. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders Company.Google Scholar
Bois, P (1964) Tumour of the thymus in magnesium deficient rats. Nature 204, 1316.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dubiel-Bigaj, M (1975) Badania ultrastrukturalne grasicy szczura we wczesnych okresach niedoboru magnezu (Ultrastructural studies of rat thymus in early stages of magnesium deficiency). Patologia Polska 26, 359–367.Google Scholar
Freedman, AM, Atrakchi, AH, Cassidy, MM & Weglicki, WB (1990) Magnesium deficiency-induced cardiomyopathy: protection by vitamin E. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 170, 1102–1106.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Galland, G (1988) Magnesium and immune function: an overview. Magnesium 7, 290–299.Google ScholarPubMed
Givalois, L, Dornand, J, Mekaouche, M, Solier, MD, Bristow, AF, Ixart, G, Siaud, P, Assenmacher, I & Barbanel, G (1994) Temporal cascade of plasma level surges in ACTH, corticosterone, and cytokines in endotoxin-challenged rats. American Journal of Physiology 267, R164–R170.Google ScholarPubMed
Günther, T, Vormann, J, Höllriegl, V, Disch, G & Classen, AH (1992) Role of lipid peroxidation and vitamin E in magnesium deficiency. Magnesium Bulletin 14, 57–66.Google Scholar
Günther, T, Vormann, J, Merker, HJ, Averdunk, R, Peter, HW & Wonigeit, K (1984) Membrane alterations in magnesium-deficiency-induced malignant T cell lymphoma. Magnesium 3, 29–37.Google ScholarPubMed
Hale, AJ, Smith, CA, Sutherland, LC, Stoneman, VEA, Lonhthorne, VL, Culhane, AC & Williams, GT (1996) Apoptosis: molecular regulation of cell death. European Journal of Biochemistry 236, 1–26.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hass, GM, McCreary, PA, Laing, GH & Galt, RM (1980) Lympho-proliferative and immunologic aspects of magnesium deficiency. In Magnesium in Health and Disease, pp. 187–200 [Cantin, M and Seelig, MS, editors]. New York, NY: Spectrum.Google Scholar
Hudson, L & Hay, FC (1989) The lymphocyte: its role and function. In Practical Immunology, 3rd ed., pp. 86–126. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications.Google Scholar
Khan, AA, Soloski, MJ, Sharp, AH, Schilling, G, Sabatini, DM, Li, SH, Ross, CA & Snyder, SH (1996) Lymphocyte apoptosis: mediation by increased type 3 inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptor. Science 273, 503–507.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kroemer, G, Petit, P, Zamzami, N, Vayssière, JL & Mignotte, B (1995) The biochemistry of programmed cell death. FASEB Journal 9, 1277–1287.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Larvor, P (1980) Magnesium, humoral immunity, and allergy. In Magnesium in Health and Disease, pp. 201–204 [Cantin, M and Seelig, MS, editors]. New York, NY: Spectrum.Google Scholar
Li, PF, Dietz, R & von Harsdorf, R (1997) Reactive oxygen species induce apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cell. FEBS Letters 464, 249–252.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McConkey, DJ, Hartzell, P, Nicotera, P & Orrenius, S (1989) Calcium-activated DNA fragmentation kills immature thymocytes. FASEB Journal 3, 1843–1849.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCoy, H & Kenney, MA (1995) Magnesium and immune function. In Handbook of Metal–Ligand Interactions in Biological Fluids, pp. 871–885 [Berthon, G, editor]. New York, NY: M. Dekker, Inc.Google Scholar
Mooren, FC, Stoll, R, Spyrou, E, Beil, W & Domschke, W (1994) Stimulus–secretion coupling in rat parietal cells is affected by extracellular magnesium. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 204, 512–518.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Noguera, MA & D'Ocon, MP (1993) Modulatory role of magnesium on the contractile response of rat aorta to several agonists in normal and calcium-free medium. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology 45, 697–700.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ohkawa, H, Ohishi, N & Yagi, K (1979) Assay for lipid peroxides in animal tissues by thiobarbituric acid reaction. Analytical Biochemistry 95, 351–358.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rayssiguier, Y, Gueux, E, Bussière, L, Durlach, J & Mazur, A (1993) Dietary magnesium affects susceptibility of lipoproteins and tissues to peroxidation in rats. Journal of the American College of Nutrition 12, 133–137.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rayssiguier, Y, Malpuech, C, Nowacki, W, Rock, E, Gueux, E & Mazur, A (1997) Inflammatory response in magnesium deficiency. In Advances in Magnesium Research: Magnesium in Cardiology, pp. 415–421 [Smetana, R, editor]. London: John Libbey.Google Scholar
Rock, E, Astier, C, Lab, C, Vignon, X, Gueux, E, Motta, C & Rayssiguier, Y (1995) Dietary magnesium deficiency in rats enhances free radical production in skeletal muscle. Journal of Nutrition 125, 1205–1210.Google ScholarPubMed
Seelig, MS (1980) Magnesium deficiency in the pathogenesis of disease. In Topics in Bone and Mineral Disorders, p. 488 [Avioli, LV, editor]. New York, NY: Plenum.Google Scholar
Stachura, J (1971) Badania morfologiczne w niedoborze i nadmiarze magnezu u szczura (Morphological studies during deficiency and excess of magnesium in the rat). Patologia Polska 22, 41–53.Google Scholar
Stachura, J, Turowski, G & Bigaj, M (1975) Poziom ‘tymozyny’ we krwi szczurow z niedoborem magnezu (Level of ‘thymosin’ in the blood of rats with magnesium deficiency). Patologia Polska 26, 369–378.Google ScholarPubMed
Vaux, DL & Strasser, A (1996) The molecular biology of apoptosis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 93, 2239–2244.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vierling, W & Stampfl, A (1994) Magnesium-dependent calcium efflux in mammalian heart muscle. Cell Calcium 15, 175–182.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Walker, GM (1986) Magnesium and cell cycle control: an update. Magnesium 5, 9–23.Google ScholarPubMed
Weglicki, WB, Stafford, RE, Freedman, AM, Cassidy, MM & Phillips, TM (1993) Modulation of cytokines and myocardial lesions by vitamin E and chloroquine in a magnesium-deficient rat model. American Journal of Physiology 264, C723–C726.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weglicki, WB, Phillips, TM, Mak, IT, Cassidy, MM, Dickens, BF, Stafford, R & Kramer, JH (1994) Cytokines, neuropeptides, and reperfusion injury during magnesium deficiency. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 723, 246–257.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zhang, A, Chen, TP & Altura, BM (1992) Magnesium regulates intracellular free ionized calcium concentration and cell geometry in vascular smooth muscle cells. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1134, 25–29.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zhang, A, Fan, SH, Chen, TP, Altura, BT, Wong, RK & Altura, BM (1996) Extracellular Mg2+ modulates intracellular Ca2+ in acutely isolated hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells of the guinea-pig. Brain Research 728, 204–208.Google ScholarPubMed
Zhu, Z, Tepel, M, Spieker, C & Zidek, W (1995) Effect of extracellular Mg2+ concentration on agonist-induced cytosolic free Ca2+ transients. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1265, 89–92.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed