Functional and morphological changes of the brain in rats exposed to intermittent hypobaric hypoxia after the repetitive magnesium administration.

Intermittent hypobaric hypoxia induces functional and morphological changes of the brain in 25-day-old rats. Administration of magnesium has partial pro-convulsion effect in hypoxia not exposed rats and it practically does not influence the excitability of cortical neurones in rats exposed to intermittent hypoxia. Magnesium administration decreases the number of NADPH-diaphorase neurones in rats exposed to hypoxia in all studied areas of the hippocampus and dentate gyrus. In control rats this effect was only in CA1, CA3 and in the ventral blade of the dentate gyrus. Increased concentration of magnesium in cells of the hypoxia exposed rats after the repeated magnesium administration was found.