Short-term dietary magnesium deficiency downregulates the expression of bone formation-related genes in rats

Dietary magnesium deficiency increases osteoclastic bone resorption and decreases osteoblastic bone formation. Increased bone resorption due to dietary magnesium deficiency can be explained by increased expression of the receptor activator of nuclear factor kB ligand. However, the detailed mechanisms underlying decreased bone formation remain unclear. Thus, in the present study, to determine the mechanism underlying decreased bone formation induced by dietary magnesium deficiency, we investigated the effects of short-term dietary magnesium deficiency on the mRNA expression of genes related to bone formation in rats. Male Wistar rats were fed a control or magnesium-deficient diet for eight days. The mRNA expression level of Runx2, Sp7, Bglap, Alpl, Col1a1, Igf1, and Bmp2 in the femur was significantly lower in magnesium-deficient rats than in control rats. These results suggest that short-term dietary magnesium deficiency decreases the gene expression of insulin-like growth factor-1 and bone morphogenetic protein 2, which, in turn, decreases osteoblastic bone formation through the downregulation of osteoblastogenesis-related gene expression.