The cognitive impairment induced by zinc deficiency in rats aged 0∼2 months related to BDNF DNA methylation changes in the hippocampus

Abstract

The learning and memory damage in offspring may be a result of the epigenetic changes of the BDNF genes in response to the zinc-deficient diet during 0∼2 month period. Furthermore, this work supports the speculative notion that altered DNA methylation of BDNF in the hippocampus is one of the main causes of cognitive impairment by zinc deficiency.