Rate of Change of Carotid Intima‐Media Thickness with Magnesium Administration in Abcc6−/− Mice

• Published in: Clinical and translational science 2013-12, Vol.6 (6), p.485-486
• Main Authors: Kupetsky, Erine A., Rincon, Fred, Uitto, Jouni
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; arteriosclerosis; ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters - deficiency; ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters - genetics; Brief Report; cardiovascular diseases; carotid arteries; Carotid Arteries - drug effects; Carotid Arteries - metabolism; Carotid Arteries - pathology; Carotid Artery Diseases - drug therapy; Carotid Artery Diseases - genetics; Carotid Artery Diseases - metabolism; Carotid Artery Diseases - pathology; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; Disease Models, Animal; Magnesium Oxide - pharmacology; Mice; Mice, Knockout; nutrition; Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum - drug therapy; Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum - genetics; Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum - metabolism; Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum - pathology; stroke; Time Factors
• ISSN: 1752-8054; 1752-8062
• DOI: 10.1111/cts.12057

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE), caused by mutations in the ABCC6 gene, demonstrates progressive build‐up of calcium phosphate and proteoglycans in the skin, eye, and arteries, and is associated to myocardial infarctions, stroke, blindness, and elevated carotid intima‐media thickness (CIMT). Although CIMT reduction with magnesium (Mg) has been documented in a mouse model for PXE (Abcc6−/−), it is not clear if Mg is effective in humans with PXE to reduce CIMT. To examine this, we calculated the rate of change of CIMT (washout) in 15‐ and 12‐month‐old Abcc6−/− mice fed standard rodent diet with or without Mg supplementation for 2 months. Using means in untreated 15‐ and 12‐month‐old Abcc6−/− mice (145 and 120 μm, respectively), the rate of change was 8.3 μm/month. Using means in treated 15‐ and 12‐month‐old Abcc6−/− mice (118 and 104.6 μm, respectively), the rate of change was 4.5 μm. Compared to normal progression of CIMT in humans without PXE, PXE has advanced atherosclerosis and possibly a higher CIMT rate of change. This experiment may portend, at least in PXE, the rationale for a 1‐year oral Mg CIMT clinical trial and may be useful for application in other progressive mineralizing disorders like atherosclerosis.