A Novel Composite Method of Post-stroke Epilepsy Induction

The global burden of stroke has increased in the past several decades, and post-stroke epilepsy (PSE) is a common complication. Contrasted with the advancement in knowledge of stroke pathophysiology, the exact pathogenesis of PSE is unclear. Various animal stroke models have been utilized to investigate the underlying mechanisms of PSE, but the success rate of PSE induction is low. To address this limitation, a novel PSE model was established in the rat by inducing status epilepticus using lithium-pilocarpine one week after photothrombotic stroke. Successful indication of status epilepticus and mortality rate at three days after status epilepticus were the main measurements. Potential usefulness of this model was also illustrated by preliminary results on locomotor activity, exploratory behavior, and anxiety level evaluated using the open-field test, as well as mossy fiber sprouting (MFS) in the hippocampal dentate granule cells using Zinc transporter 3 immunofluorescence staining at 8 weeks after PSE induction. This novel composite method of PSE induction may facilitate future studies on the pathogenesis and treatment of PSE. Key features • We developed a new PSE model in the rat by combining the photothrombotic model of stroke and lithium-pilocarpine (LIP) model of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). • In our novel rat PSE model, 94% of rats achieved status epilepticus, and mortality rate at 3 days was 25%. • The PSE rats appeared to have a decreased anxiety level on the open-field test and MFS in the hippocampal dentate granule cells.