[Magnesium and inflammation: lessons from animal models].

The purpose of this review is to summarize experimental findings showing that Mg modulates cellular events involved in inflammation. Severe experimental Mg deficiency in the rat induces after a few days a clinical inflammatory syndrome characterized by PMN and macrophage activation, release of inflammatory cytokines and acute phase proteins, excessive production of free radicals. Increasing Mg concentration decreases inflammatory response while reduction in the extracellular Mg results in cell activation.