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

AIMS: Dietary Mg(2+) 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.