Dietary magnesium deficiency induces the expression of neuroinflammation‐related genes in mouse brain

Abstract

Abstract Aims Dietary Mg2+ deficiency (MgD) impairs hippocampus‐dependent memory in mice; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying MgD‐induced memory impairments are unclear. Here, we investigated the molecular signatures in the hippocampus of MgD mice by analyzing the hippocampal transcriptome. Methods We performed RNA‐sequencing of the hippocampal transcriptome of MgD mice. We used gene ontology analyses and quantitative real‐time PCR to validate the RNA‐sequencing results. Results mRNAs for neuroinflammation‐related genes were upregulated in the hippocampus and cortex of MgD mice. Conclusion MgD induces neuroinflammation in the mouse brain, including the hippocampus and cortex. Our findings suggest that MgD‐induced neuroinflammation triggers the impairments of hippocampus‐dependent memory.

Keywords

• hippocampus‐dependent memory
• magnesium deficiency
• microglia
• neuroinflammation
• transcriptome