Tissue magnesium status in diabetes mellitus.

Leucocyte and erythrocyte magnesium was assayed in 17 healthy subjects and 17 insulin dependent diabetic patients. Plasma magnesium concentration (mean +/- standard error of mean) was significantly lower in the diabetic patients (0.80 +/- 0.02 mmol/l), compared with the healthy subjects (0.90 +/- 0.02 mmol/l, p less than 0.001), but the leucocyte and erythrocyte magnesium content was not significantly different in the diabetic patients (34.5 +/- 0.8 and 6.2 +/- 0.2 mmol/kg dry solids) compared with the healthy subjects (35.5 +/- 0.8 and 6.5 +/- 0.11 mmol/kg dry solids). In a separate study skeletal muscle obtained by needle biopsy was also assayed. Plasma magnesium in 10 diabetic patients (0.74 +/- 0.01 mmol/l) was significantly lower than in 16 healthy subjects (0.85 +/- 0.02 mmol/l, p less than 0.001), but there was no significant difference in the mean muscle magnesium content (43.0 +/- 0.7 compared with 40.7 +/- 0.9 mmol/kg dry solids in the diabetic patients).