Effect of magnesium supplementation and depletion on the onset and course of acute experimental pancreatitis

Background and objective High calcium concentrations are an established risk factor for pancreatitis. We have investigated whether increasing magnesium concentrations affect pathological calcium signals and premature protease activation in pancreatic acini, and whether dietary or intraperitoneal magnesium administration affects the onset and course of experimental pancreatitis. Methods Pancreatic acini were incubated with up to 10 mM magnesium; [Ca2+]i (fura-2AM) and intracellular protease activation (fluorogenic substrates) were determined over 60 min. Wistar rats received chow either supplemented or depleted for magnesium (