Magnesium ions and ionic channels: activation, inhibition or block--a hypothesis.

The interactions between magnesium ions and ionic membrane channels are complicated and may be classified in three categories: activation, reduction and inhibition of the ionic fluxes across the channels, corresponding to three mechanisms: open-block-close. The interactions between magnesium ions and various ionic channels are reviewed and the explanations of the three mechanisms are analyzed in term of screening/binding effects on the membrane surface polar head groups.

Magnesium chloride or magnesium sulfate: a genuine question.

MgSO4 is routinely used in therapeutics despite its toxicity. The aim of the present review was to compare MgSO4 and MgCl2 effects in order to answer the question whether MgSO4 could be or not replaced by MgCl2. Considering that the two salts have both similar and proper effects, a clear-cut conclusion is not easy to draw.

Headache due to photosensitive magnesium depletion.

Clinical and paraclinical data (visual stress tests, electroencephalographic and cerebrovascular photic driving, visual evoked potentials) demonstrate that the concept of photosensitive headache is fully justified. The interictal hallmark of photosensitive cephalalgic patients is potentiation (or sensitization) instead of habituation. The aetiopathogenic mechanisms of photosensitive headache associate hypofunction of the biological clock and magnesium depletion.

Magnesium depletion with hypo- or hyper- function of the biological clock may be involved in chronopathological forms of asthma.

Asthma is a chronic, inflammatory disorder of the airways leading to airflow limitation. Its worldwide rise, mainly in developed countries, is a matter of concern. Nocturnal asthma (NA) frequently occurs and concerns two thirds of asthmatics.

Importance of magnesium depletion with hypofunction of the biological clock in the pathophysiology of headhaches with photophobia, sudden infant death and some clinical forms of multiple sclerosis.

Mg depletion is a type of Mg deficit due to a dysregulation of the Mg status. It cannot be corrected through nutritional supplementation only, but requires the most specific correction of the dysregulating mechanism. Among those, Biological Clock (BC) dysrhythmias are to be considered.