Magnesium sulfate effects on stomach cells and mice
What it found
In lab tests, magnesium sulfate reduced the viability and growth of human stomach cancer cells at higher concentrations.
In mice given it by mouth for 10 days, it increased signs of inflammation in stomach tissue.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Stomach cell survival
In lab tests, magnesium sulfate reduced the survival of AGS human stomach cancer cells in a concentration-dependent way. At 50 mM, cell viability was 44% at 24 hours and 32% at 48 hours, compared with control cells.
Stomach cell growth
In lab tests, magnesium sulfate at 1.6 to 50 mM had little effect on AGS cell growth after 24 hours. At 50 mM, it completely stopped cell growth after 72 hours.
Cytokines in cells
In lab tests, AGS cells exposed to 50 mM magnesium sulfate released 4 times more TNF-alpha than control cells. The cells released little IL-6, and IL-1 beta and IL-8 levels were not significantly affected.
Cytokines in mice
In mice given magnesium sulfate by mouth for 10 days, stomach tissue showed increased staining for IL-1 beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha. Control mice showed no such staining.
What the authors conclude
“These preliminary data suggest that magnesium sulfate had a direct effect on the stomach and initiates cytotoxicity in moderate concentrations and time periods by inhibiting viability and proliferation of AGS cells and by regulating expression and/or release of pro-inflammatory cytokines.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that AGS cell viability and proliferation are inhibited by MgSO4 at concentrations of 25-50mM.
- They say this study represents an essential step in understanding the effect of direct in vitro and in vivo exposure of magnesium sulfate on inflammatory cytokines.
- They advise that additional studies are needed to identify other mechanisms of MgSO4 action that may affect cytokines.
How it was done
Magnesium sulfate is widely used as a food additive and as an orally given medicine, so the stomach lining is a likely place for unwanted effects. The authors wanted to test its effects on stomach cells and stomach tissue in mice.
They exposed AGS human stomach cancer cells to magnesium sulfate at 0 to 50 mM for up to 72 hours and measured cell survival, growth, and inflammatory cytokines. They also gave 5 mice 0.05 mL of 50 mM magnesium sulfate by stomach tube once daily for 10 days, with 5 control mice given distilled water, then examined their stomach tissue.
What it can’t tell you
- These are lab and animal studies. They cannot show what happens in people who eat or drink products containing magnesium sulfate.
- The mouse study was small, with only 5 mice per group, and lasted 10 days.
- The doses used in the lab and in mice may not match the amounts people typically consume.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Capital Medical University, China E-mail :
The paper
- Title
- Magnesium sulfate induced toxicity in vitro in AGS gastric adenocarcinoma cells and in vivo in mouse gastric mucosa
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Zhang X, Bo A, Chi B, Xia Y, Su X, Sun J (2015). Magnesium sulfate induced toxicity in vitro in AGS gastric adenocarcinoma cells and in vivo in mouse gastric mucosa. Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention. doi:10.7314/apjcp.2015.16.1.71Free full textPubMed 25640393DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error