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• Original Article •
Experimental study on evaluation of the hippocampal injury during early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage in rats using magnetic resonance imaging
ZHANG Xiao  WANG Kai  JIANG Liping  LI Zhe  QIN Lei 

Cite this article as: ZHANG X, WANG K, JIANG L P, et al. Experimental study on evaluation of the hippocampal injury during early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage in rats using magnetic resonance imaging[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2025, 16(9): 153-161, 168. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.09.023.


[Abstract] Objective To evaluate the hippocampal injury at different time points during early brain injury (EBI) period following the induction of a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) model in rats.Materials and Methods From January to December 2023, 72 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into a Sham operation group (Sham) (36 rats) and a SAH group (36 rats). Each group was further divided into six subgroups based on postoperative time points of 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours (6 rats per subgroup). The SAH model was established using the twice cisterna magna blood injection method, with the Sham group receiving an equal volume of normal saline instead of blood. After modeling, whole-brain MRI scanning was performed at each time point to measure the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of the hippocampus. Neurological function was evaluated using the modified Garcia scoring scale. The severity of SAH was evaluated using a conventional grading scale. Hippocampal tissues were subjected to hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining to observe pathological changes, and the expression level of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Results Compared with the Sham group, the hippocampal ADC values in the SAH group showed significant differences at 12 and 24 hours (P < 0.05). Compared with the Sham group, in each SAH group, the neurological function scores of rats were decreased, the SAH severity scores were increased, and the expression of IL-1β was elevated (all P < 0.05). Compared with the Sham group, the expression of IL-1β in rats of each SAH group was elevated (P < 0.05). Compared with the Sham group, the SAH group exhibited increased neuronal density, cellular crowding, and neuronal degeneration around the pathological lesions. The ADC value of the hippocampus was negatively correlated with the IL-1β protein concentration and the SAH severity score (all P < 0.05, r = -0.695, r = -0.624), and positively correlated with the neurological function score (P < 0.05, r = 0.568); the IL-1β protein concentration was negatively correlated with the neurological function score (P < 0.05, r = -0.419) and positively correlated with the SAH severity score (P < 0.05, r = 0.568); the SAH severity score was negatively correlated with the neurological function score (P < 0.05, r = -0.680).Conclusions During the EBI phase after SAH, the decrease in ADC values of the rat hippocampus, the increase in IL-1β protein concentration, the decrease in neurological function scores and the increase in the SAH severity scores were more pronounced at 12 and 24 hours after SAH modeling. The period of 12 to 24 hours after SAH may be the peak period for hippocampal injury, and the hippocampal ADC values could provide new therapeutic ideas and directions for clinical practice.
[Keywords] subarachnoid hemorrhage；early brain injury；diffusion tensor imaging；magnetic resonance imaging；interleukin-1β；hippocampus

ZHANG Xiao1, 2   WANG Kai1, 2   JIANG Liping2, 3   LI Zhe1, 2   QIN Lei1, 4*  

1 Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated of Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu 233004, China

2 Graduate School of Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu 233004, China

3 Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated of Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu 233004, China

4 Department of Diagnostic Imaging, School of Medical Imaging, Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu 233004, China

Corresponding author: QIN L, E-mail: 391599298@qq.com

Conflicts of interest   None.

Received  2025-04-28
Accepted  2025-09-02
DOI: 10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.09.023
Cite this article as: ZHANG X, WANG K, JIANG L P, et al. Experimental study on evaluation of the hippocampal injury during early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage in rats using magnetic resonance imaging[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2025, 16(9): 153-161, 168. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.09.023.

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