Short-term effect of magnesium sulfate infusion on renal function in preeclamptic women.

Abstract

Magnesium (Mg) plays an important role in cardiovascular homeostasis. A deficiency may be of importance for the etiology of disorders that have vasospasm in common. Mg administration can reduce the peripheral vascular resistance and thus enhance organ perfusion. We observed that Mg sulfate infusion could have a beneficial effect upon the serum urate concentration in preeclamptic women, presumably by affecting the renal function. A study comprising 10 preeclamptic women with a high serum urate level (413-788 umol/l) was carried out. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was measured by determination of iohexol clearance. 30 mmol Addex-Magnesium was then given i.v. during 12 h and a second GFR determination performed the next day. We had expected the GFR to increase, but to our surprise, it decreased (in mean, from 74.2 ml/[min x 1.73 m2] to 71.3; p < 0.05; Wilcoxon signed-ranks test). There were no significant changes of blood pressure, proteinuria, blood thrombocytes, transaminases, serum creatinine or serum urate. We conclude that in preeclamptic women with renal dysfunction, Mg infusion therapy had no favourable effect upon either blood pressure nor GFR in the short-term perspective.