Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2013 May;208(5):383.e1-7.

doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2013.03.001. Epub 2013 Mar 7.

Maternal magnesium
supplementation reduces
intrauterine growth restriction and
suppresses inflammation in a rat
model
Amanda Roman 1, Neeraj Desai, Burton Rochelson, Madhu Gupta, Malvika Solanki, Xiangying
Xue, Prodyot K Chatterjee, Christine N Metz

 PMID: 23474429
 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2013.03.001

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 (MgCl2) 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 <3 pg/mL) using a multiplex platform. Data were
analyzed using Mann Whitney, analysis of variance, and Fisher exact tests.

Results: The incidence of IUGR (pup weight <10th percentile of SH) in the MgBL group
was significantly lower (31%) than the BL group (86.3%) (relative risk, 0.36; 95%
confidence interval, 0.2-0.6; P < .0001). BL significantly increased AF levels of IL-6, IL-1β,
TNF-α (P < .05), and CCL2 (P < .001) vs SH and PL levels of IL-6, IL-1β, CCL2 and CXCL1
(P < .001), and TNF-α (P < .05) vs SH. Maternal MgCl2 supplementation significantly
decreased IL-1β, TNF-α, and CCL2 levels in AF and IL-1β in PL tissues of MgBL vs BL rats
(P < .0001).

Conclusion: Maternal oral MgCl2 supplementation reduced BL-induced IUGR by 64%

and suppressed cytokine/chemokine levels in the AF and PL.

Copyright © 2013 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Maternal-Fetal Medicine
 Published: 30 May 2013

Magnesium supplementation to prevent

high blood pressure in pregnancy: a
randomised placebo control trial
 Maria Bullarbo, 
 Natalia Ödman, 
 Axel Nestler, 
 Thorkild Nielsen, 
 Martin Kolisek, 
 Jürgen Vormann & 
 Ragnar Rylander 

Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics volume 288, pages1269–1274(2013)Cite

this article

Abstract
Purpose

To assess if hypertension during the last part of pregnancy could be prevented

by magnesium supplementation.

Methods

Pregnant primagravida women from a local antenatal care unit were given an
oral supply of 300 mg magnesium as citrate or placebo from pregnancy week
25 in a randomised double-blind setup. Blood pressure was recorded during
pregnancy as well as pregnancy outcome.

Results

In the magnesium-supplemented group, the average diastolic blood pressure

at week 37 was significantly lower than in the placebo group (72/1.4
mean/SEM vs 77/1.4, p = 0.031). The number of women with an increase in
diastolic blood pressure of ≥15 mmHg was significantly lower in the
magnesium group compared with the women who received placebo
(p = 0.011). There was an inverse relation between the urinary excretion of
magnesium during pregnancy and the diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.005).

Conclusions

Magnesium supplementation prevented an increase in diastolic blood

pressure during the last weeks of pregnancy. The relation between diastolic
blood pressure and urinary excretion of magnesium suggests that magnesium
is involved in the regulation of blood pressure and that the increase in
diastolic blood pressure in pregnancy could be due to a lack of magnesium.