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. 2001 Aug;86(2):212–216. doi: 10.1136/heart.86.2.212

Magnesium causes nitric oxide independent coronary artery vasodilation in humans

H Teragawa 1, M Kato 1, T Yamagata 1, H Matsuura 1, G Kajiyama 1
PMCID: PMC1729866  PMID: 11454846

Abstract

OBJECTIVE—To determine how magnesium affects human coronary arteries and whether endothelium derived nitric oxide (EDNO) is involved in the coronary arterial response to magnesium.
DESIGN—Quantitative coronary angiography and Doppler flow velocity measurements were used to determine the effects of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) on magnesium induced dilation of the epicardial and resistance coronary arteries.
SETTING—Hiroshima University Hospital a tertiary cardiology centre.
PATIENTS—17 patients with angiographically normal coronary arteries.
INTERVENTIONS—Magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) (0.02 mmol/min and 0.2 mmol/min) was infused for two minutes into the left coronary ostium before and after intracoronary infusion of L-NMMA.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES—Diameter of the proximal and distal segments of the epicardial coronary arteries and coronary blood flow.
RESULTS—At a dose of 0.02 mmol/min, MgSO4 did not affect the coronary arteries. At a dose of 0.2 mmol/min, MgSO4 caused coronary artery dilation (mean (SEM) proximal diameter 3.00 (0.09) to 3.11 (0.09) mm; distal 1.64 (0.06) to 1.77 (0.07) mm) and increased coronary blood flow (79.3 (7.5) to 101.4 (9.9) ml/min, p < 0.001 v baseline for all). MgSO4 increased the changes in these parameters after the infusion of L-NMMA (p < 0.001 v baseline).
CONCLUSIONS—Magnesium dilates both the epicardial and resistance coronary arteries in humans. Furthermore, the coronary arterial response to magnesium is dose dependent and independent of EDNO.


Keywords: coronary artery; coronary blood flow; magnesium sulfate; nitric oxide

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Figure 1  .

Figure 1  

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Changes in the diameter of the (A) proximal and (B) distal segments of epicardial coronary arteries in response to intracoronary infusion of MgSO4 before and after infusion of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA). Low MgSO4 was at a dose of 0.02 mmol/min; high MgSO4 was at a dose of 0.2 mmol/min. Vertical bars represent SEM. *p < 0.001 v baseline; †p < 0.01 v low MgSO4; ‡p < 0.05 v low MgSO4.

Figure 2  .

Figure 2  

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Changes in coronary blood flow in response to intracoronary infusion of MgSO4 before and after L-NMMA infusion. Vertical bars represent SEM. *p < 0.001 v baseline and †p < 0.01 v low MgSO4.

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