Magnesium modulation of glucose-induced insulin secretion by the perfused rat pancreas

Increasing levels of magnesium were found to cause a marked depression of glucosestimulated insulin secretion at fixed calcium levels, particularly at levels which bracketed the concentration of ultrafiltrable magnesium found in normal rat plasma (1.3 meq/l), i.e., increasing magnesium from 0.6 to 1.2 meq/l depressed secretion, and increasing magnesium from 1.2 to 2.4 meq/l resulted in a further depression. Paradoxically, when magnesium was omitted from the perfusing medium, insulin secretion was also depressed. The data strongly suggest that the calcium/magnesium ratio is a primary regulator of the insulin secretory process, since a relatively slight alteration of the physiologic ratio of calcium to magnesium (approximately 2.5) results in a marked alteration of total insulin secretion. In addition, small amounts of magnesium are necessary for optimum secretion, possibly reflecting the requirement for magnesium in several enzymatic processes. Thus, magnesium may play an important role in the regulation of insulin secretion by altering the sensitivity of the beta cells of the Islets of Langerhans to glucose.