[Dietary magnesium and mineralocorticoid DOCA-salt hypertension in the rat. Effect on the metabolism of sodium and magnesium].

The effects of a diet enriched in magnesium were studied in mineralocorticoid DOCA-salt hypertensive rats from 6 to 15 weeks old, during the development of hypertension. A standard normomagnesic diet with 0.21% Mg and 0.24% Na, equilibrated in minerals and vitamins is used as a control diet. The high magnesium diet is the same standard diet enriched in magnesium with a content of 0.75% Mg. That in magnesium enriched diet lessens the level of blood pressure. This effect appears within 2 weeks and is long lasting. Increase of urinary sodium is observed but without any modification of sodium balance. Sodium plasma is not changed. Plasma, urinary and balance of magnesium are increased. These results establish that in mineralocorticoid DOCA-salt hypertension, a high magnesium diet decreases hypertension. The observed metabolic variations may perhaps explain the protective effect of this in magnesium enriched diet.