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Magnesium Attenuates the Neutrophil Respiratory Burst in Adult Asthmatic Patients
Author(s) -
Cairns Charles B.,
Krafi Monica
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
academic emergency medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.221
H-Index - 124
eISSN - 1553-2712
pISSN - 1069-6563
DOI - 10.1111/j.1553-2712.1996.tb03366.x
Subject(s) - medicine , neutrophile , magnesium , respiratory burst , respiratory system , superoxide , asthma , saline , calcium , endocrinology , immunology , biochemistry , inflammation , enzyme , chemistry , organic chemistry
IV magnesium (Mg 2+ ) has been proposed as an emergent treatment for acute asthma exacerbations. Recent studies have focused on the effects of Mg 2+ on bronchial smooth muscle, yet asthma is primarily an inflammatory disease. Objective: To assess the effects of Mg 2+ on the neutrophil respiratory burst of adult patients with asthma. Methods: A prospective, blind study of volunteer adult asthmatic patients was performed. The patients' polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) were isolated, purified, and placed into phosphate‐buffered saline with the following test conditions: concentrations of magnesium chloride (MgCl 2 ) added: 0 mmol MgCl 2 , 1 mmol MgCl 2 (low), and 10 mmol MgCl 2 (high) both with and without the calcium (Ca) ionophore A23187 (0.1 mmol). PMNs were activated using N‐formyl‐methionyl‐leucyl‐phenylalanine (fMLP) (10 pmol), and the production of superoxide (O ‐ 2 ) was measured by the spectrophotometric reduction of cytochrome c. Results: Mg 2+ reduced activated PMN O ‐ 2 production compared with that for no Mg 2+ (1.0 ± 0.1 nmol O ‐ 2 /5 ± 10 5 PMN/min) in both low (‐0.52* ± 0.3 nmol O ‐ 2 /5 ± 10 5 PMN/min) and high (‐0.76* ± 0.3 nmol O ‐ 2 /5 ± 10 5 PMN/min; *p < 0.05) concentrations. The addition of A23187 increased O ‐ 2 production in both the high (0.53* ± 0.02 nmol O ‐ 2 /5 ± 10 5 PMN/min) and the low (1.5* ± 0.6 nmol O ‐ 2 /5 ± 10 5 PMN/ min) Mg 2+ groups, with no change in the control group (1.2 ± 0.2 nmol O ‐ 2 /10 5 PMN/min). Conclusions: In clinically relevant concentrations, Mg 2+ attenuates the neutrophil respiratory burst in adult asthmatic patients. Mg 2+ appears to affect PMNs by interfering with extracellular Ca 2+ influx. Mg 2+ may have a beneficial anti‐inflammatory effect in asthmatic individuals.