Magnesium supplementation affects gene expression related to insulin and lipid in patients with gestational diabetes
Authors: Mehri Jamilian
Maryam Chamani
Mansooreh Samimi
Zatollah Asemi
Alireza Mafi
Afshar Ebrahimi Faraneh
Hashemi Dizaji Shahrzad
Esmat Aghadavod
Journal: Magnesium Research (2017)
Discipline: BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
Keywords: Magnesium; gene expression; gestational diabetes; insulin; lipid.
Affiliations: Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran., Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran., Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran., Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract:  Magnesium is known to exert several beneficial effects, including antiglycemic and antilipidemic properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of magnesium supplementation on gene expression related to insulin and lipid metabolism in women with gestational diabetes (GDM) who were not on oral hypoglycemic agents. This randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted among 40 patients diagnosed with GDM, aged 18-40 years. Participants were randomly allocated into two groups to take either 250 mg/day of magnesium supplements in the form of magnesium oxide (n = 20) or placebo (n = 20) for 6 weeks. Gene expression related to insulin and lipid metabolism was assessed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of women with GDM using RT-PCR method. Compared with the placebo, magnesium supplementation to women with GDM resulted in a significant decrease in levels of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (-9.7 ¬± 5.6 vs. -0.1 ¬± 8.5 mg/dL, P&lt;0.001). Quantitative results of RT-PCR demonstrated that compared with the placebo, magnesium supplementation upregulated gene expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-Œ≥) (P = 0.003) and glucose transporter 1 (GLUT-1) (P = 0.004) and downregulated gene expression of oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) (P = 0.001) in PBMCs of women with GDM. In addition, a trend toward a greater decrease in gene expression of lipoprotein (a) [LP(a)] was observed in the patients belonging to magnesium group compared to placebo group (P = 0.08). Overall, magnesium supplementation for 6 weeks in women with GDM significantly improved FPG levels, and gene expression of PPAR-Œ≥, GLUT-1, and LDLR. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 There are many concerns about the integrity of 172 publications by this research group, including this one. Some of the concerns are published 1. Anaesthesia 2020;75:1683u201392, see Supplementary data. This paper is A100 2. Account Res 2020;28:149-61. 3. J Clin Epidemiol 2021;131:22-29. Journals and publishers were notified of these concerns in July 2019. 23 publications have an expression of concern. To our knowledge there has been no public response about any of the concerns. We think these publications are unreliable ,