Oxalate metabolism in magnesium-deficient rats

Male weanling rats were maintained on magnesium-deficient diet for 30 d and compared with pair-fed control rats fed magnesium-supplemented diet. Magnesium deficiency led to slow growth and finally to a significant decrease in body weight (P < 0.001) accompanied by a significant hypomagnesaemia, hypomagnesuria and hyperoxaluria (P < 0.001 in each case) in experimental rats as compared to the control rats. Magnesium deficiency altered the glyoxylate metabolism in the liver and kidney mitochondria by significantly decreasing glyoxylate oxidation (by 26 per cent in liver and 17 per cent in kidney) and activity of alpha-ketoglutarate:glyoxylate carboligase enzyme (by 35 per cent in liver and 27 per cent in kidney) in the experimental animals. A significant increase in the specific activities of glycolic acid oxidase (P < 0.001) and glycolic acid dehydrogenase (P < 0.01) and a significant decrease in alanine transaminase (P < 0.01) was also observed in magnesium-deficient rats. No change in liver and kidney lactate dehydrogenase was observed. Thus magnesium deficiency in rats leads to accumulation of glyoxylate in the tissues, a part of which is converted into oxalate, thereby promoting hyperoxaluria.