Albumin, the most abundant plasma protein, is known to exhibit a neuroprotective effect in animal models of focal and global cerebral ischemia. In the present study, the expression and immunoreactivity of albumin was examined in the hippocampus following 5 min of transient cerebral ischemia in gerbils. Albumin immunoreactivity was observed in microglia of the CA1 hippocampal region 2 days post‑ischemic insult, and it was significantly increased at 4 days following ischemia-reperfusion. In addition, at 4 days post‑ischemic insult, albumin‑immunoreactive microglia were abundant in the stratum pyramidale of the CA1 region. The present results demonstrated that albumin was newly expressed post‑injury in microglia in the CA1 region, suggesting ischemia‑induced neuronal loss. Albumin expression may therefore be associated with ischemia‑induced delayed neuronal death in the CA1 region following transient cerebral ischemia.