Aims: To investigate protein and gene expressions of chemokine subtypes CCR3, CCR2A and their respective ligands macrophage inflammatory protein 1‐alpha (MIP‐1α), monocyte chemotactic protein‐1 (MCP‐1) in the normal mouse central nervous system (CNS) and in the hippocampus at different time points during and after pilocarpine‐induced status epilepticus (PISE). Methods: CCR3 and MIP‐1α protein expressions were mapped in the mouse CNS. The protein and gene expressions of CCR3 and CCR2A and their respective ligands MIP‐1α, MCP‐1 in the hippocampus were studies by immunocytochemical and quantitative real‐time RT‐PCR during and after PISE. Results: CCR3 and MIP‐1α gene expression and immunopositive neurones were broadly distributed in the CNS. CCR3 and CCA2A gene and their protein expression were downregulated in the hippocampus at 1 h during PISE. The protein expression of MIP‐1α, MCP‐1 decreased but gene expression increased at 2 h during PISE. In the hilus of the dentate gyrus, significant reduction of the numbers of CCR3, CCR2A, MCP‐1 immunopositive neurones occurred from 1 h during to 2 months after PISE, but the number of MIP‐1α neurones reduced from 2 h during to 2 months after PISE. Induced expression of CCR3 at 1 week, CCR2A, MCP‐1 or MIP‐1α at 1 week and 2 months after PISE was found in reactive astrocytes. MCP‐1 was also demonstrated in the blood vessels of the hippocampus at 2 months after PISE. Conclusions: CCR3 and MIP‐1α may play important functional roles in the mouse brain. The downregulation of CCR3, CCR2A, MIP‐1α and MCP‐1 in the hippocampal neurones at the acute stage during and after PISE may weaken the neuroprotective mechanisms. However, induced expression of MCP‐1 in hippocampal blood vessel may be related to changes in permeability of the blood–brain barrier during epileptogenesis.