In the current study the possible relationship between the Ca(2+)/Mg(2+) ratio of human syncytiotrophoblast plasma membranes and their lipid peroxidation and Ca(2+)-ATPase activity was determined. Syncytiotrophoblast plasma membranes of placental explants cultured under hypoxia increased their lipid peroxidation and Ca(2+) content, diminished their Ca(2+)-ATPase activity, and kept their Mg(2+) content unchanged. Membranes preincubated with different concentrations of Ca(2+) increased their Ca(2+) content without changes in their Mg(2+) content. There is a direct relationship between Ca(2+) content and lipid peroxidation of the membranes, as well as an inverse relationship between their Ca(2+) content and Ca(2+)-ATPase activity. On the contrary, preincubation of membranes with different concentrations of Mg(2+) showed a higher Mg(2+) content without changing their lipid peroxidation and Ca(2+)-ATPase activity. Explants cultured under hypoxia in the presence of 4 mM MgSO4 showed similar values of lipid peroxidation and Ca(2+)-ATPase activity of their membranes compared to those of explants cultured under normoxia. Increased Ca(2+) content of the membranes by interacting with negatively charged phospholipids could result in destabilizing effects of the membrane structure, exposing hydrocarbon chains of fatty acids to the action of free radicals. Mg(2+) might exert a stabilizing effect of the membranes, avoiding their exposure to free radicals.