Magnesium supplementation may not be protective against carboplatin-induced nephrotoxicity but may be beneficial for children suffering malignancies: A randomized clinical trial

Magnesium oxide may be effective in renal insufficiency prevention after carboplatin therapy. We have evaluated magnesium oxide impression on the serum creatinine (Cr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels plus glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in cancerous children.

A group of children with different cancers (n = 18) was treated with 250 mg/day magnesium oxide supplementation (MOS) and compared with a matched placebo‑treated group (n = 18). After 2 weeks, carboplatin chemotherapy started. We compared serum Cr, BUN, and GFR values before and 3 and 7 days post intervention.

Serum Cr and BUN were increased significantly 3 and 7 days after intervention in both the groups. Serum Cr and BUN were not statistically different between the MOS and placebo groups before the intervention and 3 or 7 days after carboplatin administration (P > 0.05). Three days after the intervention, the GFR reduced from 101.38 ± 14.67 to 90.11 ± 10.52 mL/min/1.73 m2 in the MOS group. Furthermore, in the placebo group, 3 days after the intervention, the GFR was reduced from 97.5 ± 9.71 to 92.33 ± 10.61 mL/min/1.73 m2 . Further, in the MOS group, after 7 days of the intervention, the GFR was reduced to 84.11 ± 12.47 mL/min/1.73 m2 . In the placebo group, after 7 days of the intervention, the GFR was diminished to 85.38 ± 10.66 mL/min/1.73 m² (P = 0.371).

The current study suggests that magnesium supplementation does not prevent carboplatin‑induced nephrotoxicity in children with malignancies. Anyway, we propose magnesium oxide supplementation for this group of pediatrics because magnesium is an essential element for cell and tissue growth, maintenance, and metabolism.