The Level of Calcium and Magnesium in Blood of Rats Receiving Various Doses of Silicon Stężenie wapnia i magnezu we krwi szczurów otrzymujących różne dawki krzemu

Background. Silicon, the third most abundant trace element of the human body, is listed as an essential one. It is especially associated with connective tissues as it has been found to take part in bone development, collagen formation and mineralization of bone matrix. Silicon is also implicated in mammalian hormonal control and in protecting against heart disease in humans. Objectives. The influence of different doses of orally-administered silicon on calcium and magnesium concentrations in the blood of experimental animals was evaluated. Material and Methods. The experiment was carried out on male Wistar rats. A control group was given distilled water to drink. The rats in group 0 were given a solution of sodium hydroxide (0.001 mol/L), whereas animals in groups 1, 2 and 3 received solutions of orthosilicic acid of three different concentrations (0.05%, 0.5% and 1%) as the only drinking fluids. Blood was collected after 4 and then 8 weeks of the experiment. Determination of calcium and magnesium concentrations in the blood was performed by the ICP-AES method. Results. Silicon administration caused an increase in blood calcium concentration after 4 as well as after 8 weeks of the experiment. Four-week-long silicon intoxication caused a decrease in blood magnesium concentrations, whereas an increase in blood magnesium level in groups 0, 1 and 3 and a decrease in group 2 after 8 weeks of the experiment were noted. Conclusions. Silicon was found to significantly influence metabolism of calcium and magnesium. Its interaction with calcium during the process of bones mineralization suggests that Si supplementation may be helpful in preventing osteoporosis in postmenopausal women whose calcium intake is insufficient. Homeostasis in mineral metabolism and balance between elements are very important matters, therefore silicon metabolism and its interactions with other elements and nutrients should be further investigated (Adv Clin Exp Med 2011, 20, 6, 677–682). Streszczenie Wprowadzenie. Krzem jest niezbedny do prawidlowego funkcjonowania organizmow zywych. Jest pierwiastkiem wystepującym w śladowych ilościach i zajmuje wśrod nich trzecie miejsce co do rozpowszechnienia. Szczegolnie istotną role odgrywa w funkcjonowaniu tkanek lącznych – rozwoju kości i tworzeniu kolagenu. Badania wykazują, ze krzem odgrywa rowniez pewną funkcje w prawidlowej gospodarce hormonalnej organizmu oraz moze dzialac