Maternal Magnesium Supplementation Reduces Intrauterine Growth Restriction and Suppresses Inflammation in a Rat Model

Abstract

Objective Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is associated with increased inflammatory responses. We sought to investigate whether magnesium (Mg) attenuates inflammation and IUGR in a rat model. Study design Pregnant Wistar rats (12 weeks, gestational day 18) were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups: normal diet with bilateral uterine artery ligation (BL) (n = 6) or sham surgery (SH) (n = 5); and Mg chloride (MgCl 2 ) 1% (wt/vol) in the drinking water throughout gestation + BL (MgBL) (n = 6) or SH (MgSH) (n = 5). Dams were euthanized 24 hours postsurgery (gestational day 19). Maternal plasma, fetal plasma (pooled), individual amniotic fluid (AF) samples, and placentas (PL) were collected and assessed from live fetal pups only (BL, n = 36; SH, n = 20; MgBL, n = 20; MgSH, n = 20). All samples were analyzed for cytokines/chemokines (interleukin [IL]-6, IL-1β, chemokine [C-X-C motif] ligand 1 [CXCL1], chemokine [C-C motif] ligand 2 [CCL2], and tumor necrosis factor [TNF-α] sensitivity Results The incidence of IUGR (pup weight P P P P P 2 supplementation significantly decreased IL-1β, TNF-α, and CCL2 levels in AF and IL-1β in PL tissues of MgBL vs BL rats ( P Conclusion Maternal oral MgCl 2 supplementation reduced BL-induced IUGR by 64% and suppressed cytokine/chemokine levels in the AF and PL.