Magnesium is associated with several important cardiovascular diseases. There is an accumulating body of evidence verifying the important roles of Mg(2+)-permeable channels. In the present study, we estimated the intracellular free Mg(2+) concentration ([Mg(2+)](i)) using (31)P-nuclear magnetic resonance ((31)P-NMR) in porcine carotid arteries. pH(i) and intracellular phosphorus compounds were simultaneously monitored. Removal of extracellular divalent cations (Ca(2+) and Mg(2+)) in the absence of Na(+) caused a gradual decrease in [Mg(2+)](i) to approximately 60% of the control value after 125 min. On the other hand, the simultaneous removal of extracellular Ca(2+) and Na(+) in the presence of Mg(2+) gradually increased [Mg(2+)](i) in an extracellular Mg(2+)-dependent manner. 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB) attenuated both [Mg(2+)](i) load and depletion caused under Na(+)- and Ca(2+)-free conditions. Neither [ATP](i) nor pH(i) correlated with changes in [Mg(2+)](i). RT-PCR detected transcripts of both TRPM6 and TRPM7, although TRPM7 was predominant. In conclusion, the results suggest the presence of Mg(2+)-permeable channels of TRPM family that contribute to Mg(2+) homeostasis in vascular smooth muscle cells. The low, basal [Mg(2+)](i) level in vascular smooth muscle cells is attributable to the relatively low activity of this Mg(2+) entry pathway.