EFFECTS OF DIETARY MAGNESIUM ON FRUCTOSE-INDUCED INSULIN-RESISTANCE AND HYPERTRIGLYCERIDEMIA IN HAMSTERS

Fructose (FR)-feeding has been used to induce insulin resistance, hype rtriglyceridemia and hypertension in rats, and recently in hamsters. A s compared to chow, the semi-purified diet currently recommended by th e American Institute of Nutrition (AIN) contains less magnesium. It wa s recently proposed that metabolic changes caused by carbohydrate-rich semipurified diets are due to their low magnesium contents. We tested the effects of two FR-rich (30%, w/w) diets containing either 520 mg/ kg (FR-AIN) or 2100 mg/kg magnesium (HI-MG-FR-AIN) in Golden Syrian ha msters. After two weeks of feeding, HI-MG-FR-AIN group had higher plas ma magnesium levels (1.57+/-0.0.5 mmol/L vs 1.31+/-0.07 mmol/L, p < 0. 05). However, both groups developed comparable levels of hyperglycemia , hyperinsulinemia and hypertriglyceridemia. These findings suggest th at the metabolic changes induced by FR-rich semi-purified diets are no t due to their low magnesium contents. Copyright (C) 1997 Elsevier Sci ence Inc.