Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells can play a catalytic role in brain function recovery through a variety of ways.
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the CT and MRI features of rats with cerebral infarction undergoing bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation.
METHODS: Forty rats with cerebral infarction were randomized into two groups: model group was treated with
1 mL PBS and transplantation group was injected with 2.0×109/L cell suspension. Modified neurological severity score was detected at 1, 2, 3 weeks after transplantation for neurological function evaluation. CT and MRI scans were performed at 6 hours, 1, 3, 5, 7 days after transplantation to observe the changing features of T1WI, T2WI, FLAIR, DWI sequences in the infracted area as well as infarction size. Signal intensity ratios (SIR) of T2WI, FLAIR, DWI sequences and relative rates of change (?SIR) were determined and compared with the normal values.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: After transplantation 1, 2 and 3 weeks, the modified neurological severity scores were significantly lower in the transplantation group than the model group (P < 0.05). After transplantation 3, 5, 7 days, the infracted size was reduced significantly in the transplantation group compared with the model group
(P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, SIR value of T1WI sequence was higher, but the SIR values of T2WI 
and FLAIR sequences were lower in the transplantation (P < 0.05). There were significant differences in the ?SIR values of T2WI, FLAIR and DWI (P < 0.05) rather than T1WI (P > 0.05) between the two groups. These findings indicate that MRI can show the brain sections at any angle, and play an important role to assess the therapeutic efficacy of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation on cerebral infarction.

中国组织工程研究杂志出版内容重点：干细胞；骨髓干细胞；造血干细胞；脂肪干细胞；肿瘤干细胞；胚胎干细胞；脐带脐血干细胞；干细胞诱导；干细胞分化；组织工程

Key words: Bone Marrow, Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation, Brain Infarction, Magnetic Resonance Imaging