Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 8, 2026

A Semi-Automated and Reproducible Biological-Based Method to Quantify Calcium Deposition In Vitro
11:30

A Semi-Automated and Reproducible Biological-Based Method to Quantify Calcium Deposition In Vitro

Published on: June 2, 2022

2.6K

Magnesium prevents phosphate-induced vascular calcification via TRPM7 and Pit-1 in an aortic tissue culture model

Tomohiro Sonou1, Masaki Ohya1, Mitsuru Yashiro1

  • 1Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama City, Wakayama, Japan.

Hypertension Research : Official Journal of the Japanese Society of Hypertension
|January 27, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Magnesium supplementation effectively prevents vascular calcification (VC) by influencing TRPM7 and Pit-1 pathways. This study reveals magnesium

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Vascular Biology
  • Mineral Metabolism

Background:

  • Clinical and experimental studies suggest magnesium's role in preventing vascular calcification (VC).
  • Mechanistic details of magnesium's effect on VC remain largely uncharacterized.
  • Vascular calcification is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the influence of increasing magnesium concentrations on vascular calcification (VC).
  • To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of magnesium's effect on VC in a rat aortic tissue model.

Main Methods:

  • Aortic segments from Sprague-Dawley rats were cultured in high-phosphate medium with varying magnesium concentrations.
  • Vascular calcification (VC) was assessed using imaging and spectroscopy.
  • Mineral composition was analyzed via Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic imaging, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) mapping.

Main Results:

  • Magnesium supplementation dose-dependently suppressed VC, with near-complete ablation at 2.4 mM magnesium.
  • FTIR and SEM-EDX analyses showed magnesium distribution correlating with calcium and hydroxyapatite in calcified areas.
  • TRPM7 inhibition partially reduced magnesium's VC inhibitory effect, and magnesium decreased high phosphate-induced Pit-1 expression.

Conclusions:

  • Magnesium effectively prevents high phosphate-induced vascular calcification (VC) in a rat aortic model.
  • The mechanism involves the modulation of TRPM7 and phosphate transporter-1 (Pit-1) expression.
  • Findings highlight magnesium's therapeutic potential in managing vascular calcification.

More Related Videos

A Calcium Phosphate-Induced Mouse Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Model05:14

A Calcium Phosphate-Induced Mouse Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Model

Published on: November 18, 2022

4.6K
Calcification of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells and Imaging of Aortic Calcification and Inflammation08:43

Calcification of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells and Imaging of Aortic Calcification and Inflammation

Published on: May 31, 2016

20.5K

Related Concept Videos

Roles of Electrolytes: Calcium and Phosphate01:27

Roles of Electrolytes: Calcium and Phosphate

Calcium and phosphate are essential electrolytes in the human body, with calcium being the most abundant mineral. Around 99% of the body's calcium is stored in the skeleton and teeth, forming a crystal lattice of mineral salts in combination with phosphates. Calcium plays crucial roles in various bodily functions such as blood clotting, neurotransmitter release, muscle tone maintenance, and nervous and muscle tissue excitability.
The calcium concentration in blood plasma is primarily...
1.4K
Hormones and Bone Tissue01:17

Hormones and Bone Tissue

The endocrine system produces and secretes hormones, which interact with the skeletal system. These hormones control bone growth, maintain bone once it is formed, and remodel it.
Hormones That Influence Osteoblasts and/or Maintain the Matrix
Several hormones are necessary for controlling bone growth and maintaining the bone matrix. The pituitary gland secretes growth hormone (GH), which, as its name implies, controls bone growth. This happens in several ways: first, it triggers chondrocyte...
4.1K
Introduction to Electrolytes01:33

Introduction to Electrolytes

In humans, electrolytes play a vital role in various physiological processes. Balancing electrolyte levels is essential for normal body functions; their imbalance can be life-threatening. The major electrolytes include sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, phosphate, and bicarbonate. They are primarily involved in physiological processes, such as nerve signal transmission, membrane trafficking, muscle contraction, buffering body fluids, and balancing water levels in the body.
Role of Sodium
One...
17.3K
Calmodulin-dependent Signaling01:16

Calmodulin-dependent Signaling

Calmodulin (CaM) is a calcium-binding protein in eukaryotes that controls various calcium-regulated cellular processes. It has four calcium-binding sites that bind calcium to form the calcium-calmodulin ( Ca2+-CaM) complex. GPCR stimulation increases the calcium levels in the cells that bind to CaM and induces a conformational change.
The Ca2+-CaM complex does not have enzymatic activity by itself. Instead, the complex binds downstream target proteins, including membrane proteins or enzymes,...
6.8K
Essential Minerals for Bone Health01:31

Essential Minerals for Bone Health

The minerals contained in all of the food we consume are essential for our organ systems. However, certain essential minerals, such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, and fluoride, largely affect bone health.
Calcium and Phosphorus
Calcium is a critical component of bones, especially in the form of calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate. Since the body cannot make calcium, it must be obtained from the diet. However, calcium cannot be absorbed from the small intestine without...
6.9K
Protein Kinases and Phosphatases02:54

Protein Kinases and Phosphatases

Proteins undergo chemical modifications that trigger changes in the charge, structure, and conformation of the proteins. Phosphorylation, acetylation, glycosylation, nitrosylation, ubiquitination, lipidation, methylation, and proteolysis are various protein modifications that regulate protein activity. Such modifications are usually enzyme-driven.
Protein kinases
Many proteins in the cell are regulated by phosphorylation, the addition of a phosphate group. A family of enzymes called kinases...
15.4K