Intracellular Mg++ concentrations in smooth and striated muscle cells in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Decreased intracellular Mg++ concentrations seem to be involved in the pathogenesis of primary hypertension. Of special interest is the smooth muscle cell with its electrolyte metabolism in primary hypertension, but also heart muscle cells and their Mg++ concentrations are of growing interest. Therefore, in aortic smooth muscle cells and striated heart muscle cells (left ventricle) from 20 spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) of the Münster strain and 20 normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY), the intracellular Mg++ content was measured. The electron probe x-ray microanalysis technique was used to determine intracellular Mg++ concentrations under nearly in vivo conditions in aortic cryosections 3 μm thick and striated heart muscle cells 4 μm thick (Camscan CS 24 apparatus). Vascular smooth muscle Mg++ content was 36.4 ± 3.1 mmol/kg dry weight in SHR versus 48.6 ± 3.7 mmol/kg dry weight in WKY (P< .001). In striated heart muscle cell Mg++ concentrations, there was no significant difference in SHR and WKY (79.9 ± 5.6 versus 80.3 ± 5.9 mmol/ kg dry weight). In conclusion, the present study revealed that genetic hypertension in the spontaneously hypertensive rat is accompanied by significantly decreased intracellular Mg++ concentrations in vascular smooth muscle cells. In striated heart muscle cells, Mg++ content was not significantly different in SHR and WKY. Mg++ handling is different in vascular smooth muscle and striated heart muscle cells in WKY and SHR (P< .01).