Pilocarpine-induced rat epilepsy model is an established animal model that mimics medial temporal lobe epilepsy in humans. The purpose of this study was to investigate neuroimaging abnormalities in various stages of epileptogenesis and to correlate them with seizure severity in pilocarpine-induced rat epilepsy model. Fifty male Sprague-Dawley rats were subject to continuous video and electroencephalographic monitoring after inducing status epilepticus (SE) and seizure severity was estimated by frequency and total durations of class 3 to 5 spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRS) by modified Racine's classification. The 7.0 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with high resolution flurodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) was performed at 3 hours, 1, 3, 7 days and 4 weeks after the initial insult. The initial SRS was observed 9.7±1.3 days after the pilocarpine injection. MRI revealed an abnormal T2 signal change with swelling in both hippocampi and amygdala in acute (day 1 after injection) and latent phases (days 3 and 7), in association with PET hypometabolism in these areas. Interestingly, the mean frequency of class 3 to 5 SRS was positively correlated with abnormal T2 signals in hippocampal area at 3 days. SRS duration became longer with more decreased glucose metabolism in both hippocampi and amygdala at 7 days after pilocarpine injection. This study indicates that development and severity of SRS at chronic phase could be closely related with structural and functional changes in hippocampus during the latent period, a pre-epileptic stage.

中文翻译：

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在毛果芸香碱诱发的癫痫模型中，癫痫前期的结构和功能改变与癫痫发生密切相关。

毛果芸香碱诱发的大鼠癫痫模型是建立的模仿人类内侧颞叶癫痫的动物模型。这项研究的目的是调查癫痫发生各个阶段的神经影像异常，并将它们与毛果芸香碱诱发的大鼠癫痫模型中的癫痫发作严重程度相关联。在诱发癫痫持续状态（SE）之后，对50只雄性Sprague-Dawley大鼠进行连续的视频和脑电图监测，并通过改良的Racine分类法根据3至5级自发性反复发作（SRS）的频率和总持续时间估算癫痫发作的严重程度。在首次侮辱后的3小时，1、3、7天和4周进行了具有高分辨率氟脱氧葡萄糖正电子发射断层显像（FDG-PET）的7.0 Tesla磁共振成像（MRI）。初始SRS为9.7±1。毛果芸香碱注射后3天。MRI显示急性期（注射后第1天）和潜伏期（第3天和第7天）海马和杏仁核均出现T2信号异常变化，并伴有这些区域的PET低代谢。有趣的是，第3天到5天SRS的平均频率与海马区T2信号异常呈正相关。注射毛果芸香碱后第7天，SRS持续时间变得更长，海马和杏仁核的葡萄糖代谢均下降。这项研究表明，慢性期SRS的发展和严重程度可能与潜伏期（癫痫前期）的海马结构和功能变化密切相关。MRI显示急性期（注射后第1天）和潜伏期（第3天和第7天）海马和杏仁核均出现T2信号异常变化，并伴有这些区域的PET低代谢。有趣的是，第3天到5天SRS的平均频率与海马区T2信号异常呈正相关。注射毛果芸香碱后第7天，SRS持续时间变得更长，海马和杏仁核的葡萄糖代谢均下降。这项研究表明，慢性期SRS的发展和严重程度可能与潜伏期（癫痫前期）的海马结构和功能变化密切相关。MRI显示急性期（注射后第1天）和潜伏期（第3天和第7天）海马和杏仁核均出现T2信号异常变化，并伴有这些区域的PET低代谢。有趣的是，第3天到5天SRS的平均频率与海马区T2信号异常呈正相关。注射毛果芸香碱后第7天，SRS持续时间变得更长，海马和杏仁核的葡萄糖代谢均下降。这项研究表明，慢性期SRS的发展和严重程度可能与潜伏期（癫痫前期）海马的结构和功能变化密切相关。3天时3至5级SRS的平均频率与海马区T2信号异常呈正相关。注射毛果芸香碱后第7天，SRS持续时间变得更长，海马和杏仁核的葡萄糖代谢均下降。这项研究表明，慢性期SRS的发展和严重程度可能与潜伏期（癫痫前期）的海马结构和功能变化密切相关。3天时3至5级SRS的平均频率与海马区T2信号异常呈正相关。注射毛果芸香碱后第7天，SRS持续时间变得更长，海马和杏仁核的葡萄糖代谢均下降。这项研究表明，慢性期SRS的发展和严重程度可能与潜伏期（癫痫前期）海马的结构和功能变化密切相关。