Magnesium deficiency causes loss of response to intermittent hypoxia in paraganglion cells.

Magnesium deficiency is suggested to contribute to many age-related diseases. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha (HIF-1alpha) is known to be a master regulator of hypoxic response. Here we show that hypomagnesemia suppresses reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced HIF-1alpha activity in paraganglion cells of the adrenal medulla and carotid body.