Abstract
Viral infection of the central nervous system can lead to long-term neurologic defects, including increased risk for the development of epilepsy. We describe the development of the first mouse model of viral-induced epilepsy after intracerebral infection with Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus. Mice were monitored with long-term video-electroencephalogram at multiple time points after infection. Most miceexhibited short-term symptomatic seizures within 3 to 7days of infection. This was followed by a distinct latent period in which no seizures were observed. Prolonged video-electroencephalogram recordings at 2, 4, and 7 months after the initial infection revealed that asignificant proportion of the mice developed profound, spontaneous epileptic seizures. Neuropathologic examination revealed hippocampal sclerosis in animals with epilepsy. Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus-infected C57BL/6 mice represent a novel "hit-and-run" model toinvestigate mechanisms underlying viral-induced short-term symptomatic seizures, epileptogenesis, and epilepsy. Importantly, this model will also be useful to investigate novel therapies for the treatment and prevention of epilepsy.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1210-1219 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Journal of neuropathology and experimental neurology |
Volume | 69 |
Issue number | 12 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 2010 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Animal model
- Epilepsy
- Epileptogenesis
- Hippocampus
- Inflammation
- Seizure
- Virus
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Medicine