Effects of calcium and magnesium-balanced deep sea water on antioxidation in kidney cells

In this study, the antioxidant effects of mineral-containing deep sea water (DSW) on kidney function was confirmed using a cell model. DSW samples were prepared with different mineral concentrations including calcium and magnesium— the main minerals found in DSW—to derive the following sample groups: trace minerals (TM), high magnesium (HM), high magnesium, low salt (HMLS) and high magnesium, high calcium (HMHC). The purpose of this preparation was to determine the optimal calcium/magnesium ratio in DSW. Human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells were exposed to sodium chloride (NaCl) for 2 h to induce release of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Thereafter, the cells were treated with the respective DSW samples before ROS concentrations, as well as antioxidant enzyme activity and protein levels, were measured. Among the water samples, HMLS showed the most protective effect against ROS, whereas the intracellular glutathione content was highest in cells from the HMLS-and HMHC-treated groups. However, TM- and HMHC-treated cells showed similar tendencies to the control group, in terms of mRNA expression of antioxidant genes. These results suggested that DSW may aid in preventing renal oxidative stress caused by excessive sodium intake. Furthermore, it was determined that HMLS and HMHC water samples displayed good antioxidant effects in the kidney cell model, based on the combined results of ROS concentration and antioxidant marker measurements.