Magnesium status and gastric function: experimental and clinical data.

Within this review current physiological, pharmacological and clinical aspects of the relationship between magnesium status and gastric function will be presented. After a short summary of the basic intracellular signalling mechanisms the first part deals with effects of magnesium on acid secretion and gastric motility. It focuses on the intracellular Ca(2+)-Mg2+ interactions which represent the most important targets for the modulatory role of magnesium in cell physiology. The second part summarizes what is currently known about disturbances of magnesium status as an underlying pathophysiological event in diseases like gastric ulcer and cancer.