Influence of age and hormonal treatment on intestinal absorption of magnesium in ovariectomised rats.

This study was designed to assess the effect of age, ovariectomy and estrogen treatment on the absorption and the balance of Mg in the rat. Three groups of fifteen 6- (mature), 12- (old), and 30-month-old female rats (senescent), fed a diet containing 1.5 g of Mg/kg were used in the present study. Within each group, 10 rats were surgically ovariectomized (OVX). From day 2 until day 60 after OVX, they were s.c. injected with either solvant or 17 beta-estradiol (E: 10 mg/kg bw/48 h, n = 5). Five other rats were sham operated (SH, n = 5) and received solvent alone. Animals were pair fed 6 g/100 g bw/day and distilled water was available ad libitum. Food intake, urine and feces from each individual rat were measured 1 day per week, during the last 5 weeks. The results clearly showed that apparent Mg absorption (per cent) was not significantly altered with aging. Moreover, whatever the age, neither OVX nor E treatment had any significant effect on Mg apparent absorption.