The concentration of ionized magnesium in serum during the periparturient period of non-paretic dairy cows

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Abstract
Ion-selective electrodes have recently been designed for determining the ionized concentration of magnesium (Mg2+) in serum. This development may allow new insights into some metabolic diseases of cattle. For this report, the concentrations of Mg2+, total magnesium (Mgtot), ionized calcium (Ca2+), total calcium (Catot), and inorganic phosphate (Pi) were determined in sera from seventeen 3-to 16-year-old Brown Swiss and crossed Simmental/Red Holstein cows during the periparturient period. In each animal, a transient increase of Mg2+ and Mgtot serum concentrations was observed in association with the transient decrease in serum concentrations of Ca2+, Catot and Pi after parturition. On average, throughout the study, the serum Mg2+ concentrations were 68.5% of those of Mgtot, whereas the serum Ca2+ concentrations were 52% of those of Catot. The possible mechanisms involved in the transient increase of Mg2+ and Mgtot serum concentrations are discussed.