Magnesium concentrations in the ventricular and lumbar cerebrospinal fluid of hypomagnesaemic cows

Samples of ventricular and lumbar cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were taken at intervals from six lactating dairy cows, made hypomagnesaemic by feeding a magnesium-deficient diet. Initially the ventricular CSF had a higher magnesium concentration than lumbar CSF but as the cows became hypomagnesaemic the magnesium concentration in ventricular CSF decreased more rapidly than that in lumbar CSF. Tetany occurred when the concentration of magnesium in ventricular CSF fell below about 0.5 mmol litre-1. Intravenous infusion of magnesium into two hypomagnesaemic cows increased the concentration of magnesium in ventricular CSF before there was any change in the lumbar CSF. Newly formed CSF from the ventricles appeared to be more sensitive to changes in the concentration of magnesium in plasma than lumbar CSF which equilibrates with the diffusible magnesium of the central nervous system.