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Dietary magnesium deficiency affects gut microbiota and anxiety-like behaviour in C57BL/6N mice

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 March 2015

Bettina Pyndt Jørgensen ,
Gudrun Winther ,
Pernille Kihl ,
Dennis S. Nielsen ,
Gregers Wegener ,
Axel K. Hansen  and
Dorte B. Sørensen
Bettina Pyndt Jørgensen*
Affiliation:
Section of Experimental Animal Models, Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
Gudrun Winther
Affiliation:
Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Risskov, Denmark
Pernille Kihl
Affiliation:
Section of Experimental Animal Models, Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
Dennis S. Nielsen
Affiliation:
Department of Food Science, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
Gregers Wegener
Affiliation:
Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Risskov, Denmark Pharmaceutical Centre of Excellence, School of Pharmacy, North West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
Axel K. Hansen
Affiliation:
Section of Experimental Animal Models, Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
Dorte B. Sørensen
Affiliation:
Section of Experimental Animal Models, Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
*
Bettina Pyndt Jørgensen, Section of Experimental Animal Models, Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 57, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark. Tel: +453 533 2724; Fax: +453 533 2755; E-mail: bmp@sund.ku.dk
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Abstract

Objective

Magnesium deficiency has been associated with anxiety in humans, and rodent studies have demonstrated the gut microbiota to impact behaviour.

Methods

We investigated the impact of 6 weeks of dietary magnesium deficiency on gut microbiota composition and anxiety-like behaviour and whether there was a link between the two. A total of 20 C57BL/6 mice, fed either a standard diet or a magnesium-deficient diet for 6 weeks, were tested using the light-dark box anxiety test. Gut microbiota composition was analysed by denaturation gradient gel electrophoresis.

Results

We demonstrated that the gut microbiota composition correlated significantly with the behaviour of dietary unchallenged mice. A magnesium-deficient diet altered the gut microbiota, and was associated with altered anxiety-like behaviour, measured by decreased latency to enter the light box.

Conclusion

Magnesium deficiency altered behavior. The duration of magnesium deficiency is suggested to influence behaviour in the evaluated test.

Keywords

animal modelsanxietygut microbiotamagnesium
Type
Short Communications
Information
Acta Neuropsychiatrica , Volume 27 , Issue 5 , October 2015 , pp. 307 - 311
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Copyright
© Scandinavian College of Neuropsychopharmacology 2015 

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