Elevated cerebral blood flow and vascular density in the amygdala after status epilepticus in rats

Cerebrovascular changes following status epilepticus (SE) are not well understood, yet they may contribute to epileptogenesis. We studied hemodynamic changes in the cerebral cortex and amygdala by arterial spin labeling (ASL) and dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) MRI at 2 days and 14 days after pilocarpine-induced SE in rats. There were no cortical hemodynamic changes, yet in the amygdala we found prolonged elevation in cerebral blood flow (CBF, 129% of control mean, day 14, p < 0.01). There was a trend towards increased cerebral blood volume (CBV) during the same imaging sessions. Through immunohistochemistry, we observed increased vessel density in the amygdala (127% of control mean, day 14, p < 0.05). In conclusion, epileptogenesis may involve hemodynamic changes that are associated with vascular reorganization during post-SE remodeling in the amygdaloid complex.