Magnesium deficiency prevents high-fat-diet-induced obesity in mice.
Kurstjens S., van Diepen JA., Overmars-Bos C., Alkema W., Bindels RJM., Ashcroft FM., Tack CJJ., Hoenderop JGJ., de Baaij JHF.
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Hypomagnesaemia (blood Mg2+ <0.7 mmol/l) is a common phenomenon in individuals with type 2 diabetes. However, it remains unknown how a low blood Mg2+ concentration affects lipid and energy metabolism. Therefore, the importance of Mg2+ in obesity and type 2 diabetes has been largely neglected to date. This study aims to determine the effects of hypomagnesaemia on energy homeostasis and lipid metabolism. METHODS: Mice (n = 12/group) were fed either a low-fat diet (LFD) or a high-fat diet (HFD) (10% or 60% of total energy) in combination with a normal- or low-Mg2+ content (0.21% or 0.03% wt/wt) for 17 weeks. Metabolic cages were used to investigate food intake, energy expenditure and respiration. Blood and tissues were taken to study metabolic parameters and mRNA expression profiles, respectively. RESULTS: We show that low dietary Mg2+ intake ameliorates HFD-induced obesity in mice (47.00 ± 1.53 g vs 38.62 ± 1.51 g in mice given a normal Mg2+-HFD and low Mg2+-HFD, respectively, p