Share：
Share this content in WeChat
X
[Chinese][PDF]1031
• Original Article •
Magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging evaluation of electroacupuncture and stem cell therapy for acute peripheral nerve injury in rats
PAN Jintong  MENG Fanqi  PAN Zhongxian  YU Xuewen  LI Zhujing  GAO Jinyun  HAO Liantao  LIANG Qiumei  CHEN Yueyao 

Cite this article as: PAN J T, MENG F Q, PAN Z X, et al. Magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging evaluation of electroacupuncture and stem cell therapy for acute peripheral nerve injury in rats[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2024, 15(6): 107-114, 122. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2024.06.016.


[Abstract] Objective To evaluate the therapeutic effect of electroacupuncture and stem cell transplantation on acute peripheral nerve injury by magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).Materials and Methods A total of 48 adult SD rats with successful modeling were randomly divided into an electroacupuncture (EA) group, a stem cell group and a control group, 16 rats in each group. The rats in the EA group were treated with EA at Huantiao (GB 30) and Zusanli (ST 36). Rats in the stem cell group were microinjected with 3μL saline suspension containing about 5×105 bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells under the epineurium at the injury site. The control group was microinjected with the same volume of saline. Multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging [DTI and T2-weighted fat saturation (T2WI-FS)], histological evaluation and immunohistochemical analysis were used to monitor the changes of nerve structure (including nerve diameter, myelin sheath thickness and morphological changes, axonal continuity recovery). Somatic functional index (SFI) and gait trajectory analysis were used to evaluate the motor function of sciatic nerve. The differences of T2 value, DTI parameters [fractional anisotropy (FA), radial diffusivity (RD)] and SFI values among different experimental groups were analyzed by repeated measures one-way ANOVA. Bonferroni test was used to correct the threshold results of multiple testing at different time points.Results At the first week after acute peripheral nerve injury, the FA value of all groups decreased significantly, and then gradually increased, and returned to the normal level at the fourth week. The mean value of RD increased significantly within 1 week after surgery, then gradually decreased, and returned to the normal level at the 4th week. The recovery of rats in the EA group and the stem cell group was better than that in the control group at different time points (2-4 weeks) after operation, and the recovery in the EA group was the most significant (P<0.001). T2WI-FS showed that at 1, 2, and 4 weeks after operation, the EA group and the stem cell group had significant differences in the speed of nerve edema regression compared with the control group (P<0.001). The nerve diameter and T2 value increased significantly in the first week after operation, then gradually decreased, and returned to the normal level in the fourth week. Toluidine blue staining and SPRR1A axonal staining indicated that the nerve fiber continuity in the EA group recovered most rapidly, followed by the stem cell group.Conclusions The therapeutic effect of electroacupuncture on acute peripheral nerve injury is similar to that of stem cell transplantation, and it has great advantages in reducing edema and inflammatory response. DTI parameters FA and RD values are imaging markers of myelin integrity.
[Keywords] acute peripheral nerve injury in rats；electroacupuncture；diffusion tensor imaging；magnetic resonance imaging；mesenchymal stem cells

PAN Jintong1   MENG Fanqi1   PAN Zhongxian1   YU Xuewen2   LI Zhujing1   GAO Jinyun1   HAO Liantao1   LIANG Qiumei1   CHEN Yueyao1*  

1 Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine (the Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine), Shenzhen 518033, China

2 Department of Pathology, Shenzhen Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine (the Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine), Shenzhen 518033, China

Corresponding author: CHEN Y Y, E-mail: drchenyueyao@163.com

Conflicts of interest   None.

Received  2023-12-01
Accepted  2024-05-13
DOI: 10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2024.06.016
Cite this article as: PAN J T, MENG F Q, PAN Z X, et al. Magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging evaluation of electroacupuncture and stem cell therapy for acute peripheral nerve injury in rats[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2024, 15(6): 107-114, 122. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2024.06.016.

[1]
ZHANG R C, DU W Q, ZHANG J Y, et al. Mesenchymal stem cell treatment for peripheral nerve injury: a narrative review[J]. Neural Regen Res, 2021, 16(11): 2170-2176. DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.310941.
[2]
ZHANG Q, WU P, CHEN F X, et al. Brain derived neurotrophic factor and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor-transfected bone mesenchymal stem cells for the repair of periphery nerve injury[J/OL]. Front Bioeng Biotechnol, 2020, 8: 874 [2023-11-30]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32850732/. DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00874.
[3]
LIN Y J, LEE Y W, CHANG C W, et al. 3D spheroids of umbilical cord blood MSC-derived schwann cells promote peripheral nerve regeneration[J/OL]. Front Cell Dev Biol, 2020, 8: 604946 [2023-11-30]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33392194/. DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.604946.
[4]
YOUSEFI F, LAVI ARAB F, NIKKHAH K, et al. Novel approaches using mesenchymal stem cells for curing peripheral nerve injuries[J/OL]. Life Sci, 2019, 221: 99-108 [2023-11-30]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30735735/. DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2019.01.052.
[5]
SULLIVAN R, DAILEY T, DUNCAN K, et al. Peripheral nerve injury: stem cell therapy and peripheral nerve transfer[J/OL]. Int J Mol Sci, 2016, 17(12): 2101 [2023-11-30]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27983642/. DOI: 10.3390/ijms17122101.
[6]
GAO F, XIANG H C, LI H P, et al. Electroacupuncture inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome activation through CB2 receptors in inflammatory pain[J/OL]. Brain Behav Immun, 2018, 67: 91-100 [2023-11-30]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28782714/. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2017.08.004.
[7]
REN X Q, GAO X Y, LI Z Q, et al. Electroacupuncture ameliorates neuroinflammation by inhibiting TRPV4 channel in ischemic stroke[J/OL]. CNS Neurosci Ther, 2024, 30(2): e14618 [2023-11-30]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38334061/. DOI: 10.1111/cns.14618.
[8]
LIU Y P, LUO Z R, WANG C, et al. Electroacupuncture promoted nerve repair after peripheral nerve injury by regulating miR-1b and its target brain-derived neurotrophic factor[J/OL]. Front Neurosci, 2020, 14: 525144 [2023-11-30]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33132818/. DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.525144.
[9]
CHO E, KIM W. Effect of acupuncture on diabetic neuropathy: a narrative review[J/OL]. Int J Mol Sci, 2021, 22(16): 8575 [2023-11-30]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34445280/. DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168575.
[10]
SHENG J P, JIANG R, DU F Z, et al. Application of magnetic resonance DTI technique in evaluating the effect of postoperative exercise rehabilitation[J/OL]. J Healthc Eng, 2022, 2022: 2385699 [2023-11-30]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35356626/. DOI: 10.1155/2022/2385699.
[11]
FARINAS A F, MANZANERA ESTEVE I V, POLLINS A C, et al. Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging predicts peripheral nerve recovery in a rat sciatic nerve injury model[J]. Plast Reconstr Surg, 2020, 145(4): 949-956. DOI: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000006638.
[12]
SIWEI Q, MA N, WANG W X, et al. Construction and effect evaluation of different sciatic nerve injury models in rats[J]. Transl Neurosci, 2022, 13(1): 38-51. DOI: 10.1515/tnsci-2022-0214.
[13]
CHEN Y Y, ZHANG X, LIN X F, et al. DTI metrics can be used as biomarkers to determine the therapeutic effect of stem cells in acute peripheral nerve injury[J]. J Magn Reson Imaging, 2017, 45(3): 855-862. DOI: 10.1002/jmri.25395.
[14]
TIAN H, CHEN Y R, MA T M. Effects of triple needling at Huantiao point on the Expression of inflammatory factors and GFAP in spinal dorsal horn in Rats with sciatic nerve Injury[J/OL]. Chinese Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine: 1-13 [2024-04-02]. https://kns.cnkinet/kcms/detail/21.1546.R.20230510.0940.004.html.
[15]
LIU X G, WU J C, LI F, et al. Transplantation of plant-derived nerve conduit loaded with EMSCs for rat sciatic nerve repairment[J]. Chin J Neuroanat, 2021, 37(4): 383-391. DOI: 10.16557/j.cnki.1000-7547.2021.04.002.
[16]
GENTILI C, CECCHETTI L, HANDJARAS G, et al. The case for preregistering all region of interest (ROI) analyses in neuroimaging research[J]. Eur J Neurosci, 2021, 53(2): 357-361. DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14954.
[17]
LIAO C D, ZHANG F, GUO R M, et al. Peripheral nerve repair: monitoring by using gadofluorine M-enhanced MR imaging with chitosan nerve conduits with cultured mesenchymal stem cells in rat model of neurotmesis[J]. Radiology, 2012, 262(1): 161-171. DOI: 10.1148/radiol.11110911.
[18]
CHEN Y Y, LIN X F, ZHANG F, et al. Diffusion tensor imaging of symptomatic nerve roots in patients with cervical disc herniation[J]. Acad Radiol, 2014, 21(3): 338-344. DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2013.11.005.
[19]
GONCHARUK O, SAVOSKO S, PETRIV T, et al. Quantitative histological assessment of skeletal muscle hypotrophy after neurotomy and sciatic nerve repair in rats[J/OL]. Georgian Med News, 2021(313): 169-172 [2023-11-30]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34103451/.
[20]
GHNENIS A B, CZAIKOWSKI R E, ZHANG Z J, et al. Toluidine blue staining of resin-embedded sections for evaluation of peripheral nerve morphology[J/OL]. J Vis Exp, 2018(137): 58031 [2023-11-30]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30035773/. DOI: 10.3791/58031.
[21]
PAULY M, SMAGA Ł. Asymptotic permutation tests for coefficients of variation and standardised means in general one-way ANOVA models[J]. Stat Methods Med Res, 2020, 29(9): 2733-2748. DOI: 10.1177/0962280220909959.
[22]
XI D, CHEN Y. Optimal weighted Bonferroni tests and their graphical extensions[J]. Stat Med, 2024, 43(3): 475-500. DOI: 10.1002/sim.9958.
[23]
BABU S, KRISHNAN M, PANNEERSELVAM A, et al. A comprehensive review on therapeutic application of mesenchymal stem cells in neuroregeneration[J/OL]. Life Sci, 2023, 327: 121785 [2023-11-30]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37196856/. DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2023.121785.
[24]
LI X L, GUAN Y J, LI C C, et al. Immunomodulatory effects of mesenchymal stem cells in peripheral nerve injury[J/OL]. Stem Cell Res Ther, 2022, 13(1): 18 [2023-11-30]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35033187/. DOI: 10.1186/s13287-021-02690-2.
[25]
WU Z C, LIANG J L, HUANG W, et al. Immunomodulatory effects of mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of cardiac allograft rejection[J]. Exp Biol Med, 2021, 246(7): 851-860. DOI: 10.1177/1535370220978650.
[26]
ZHAO X X, WANG W Y, NIE S Q, et al. Dynamic comparison of early immune reactions and immune cell reconstitution after umbilical cord blood transplantation and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation[J/OL]. Front Immunol, 2023, 14: 1084901 [2023-11-30]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37114055/. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1084901.
[27]
ANKRUM J A, ONG J F, KARP J M. Mesenchymal stem cells: immune evasive, not immune privileged[J]. Nat Biotechnol, 2014, 32(3): 252-260. DOI: 10.1038/nbt.2816.
[28]
TANIMOTO Y, YAMASAKI T, NAGOSHI N, et al. In vivo monitoring of remnant undifferentiated neural cells following human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural stem/progenitor cells transplantation[J]. Stem Cells Transl Med, 2020, 9(4): 465-477. DOI: 10.1002/sctm.19-0150.
[29]
YANG N N, YANG J W, YE Y, et al. Electroacupuncture ameliorates intestinal inflammation by activating α7nAChR-mediated JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway in postoperative ileus[J]. Theranostics, 2021, 11(9): 4078-4089. DOI: 10.7150/thno.52574.
[30]
AGUIAR D N, SILVA M M, PARREIRA W V, et al. Electroacupuncture at the ST36 acupoint increases interleukin-4 responsiveness in macrophages, generation of alternatively activated macrophages and susceptibility to Leishmania major infection[J/OL]. Chin Med, 2012, 7(1): 17 [2023-11-30]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22838729/. DOI: 10.1186/1749-8546-7-17.
[31]
LIU K H, YANG L J, WANG X, et al. Electroacupuncture regulates macrophage, neutrophil, and oral microbiota to alleviate alveolar bone loss and inflammation in experimental ligature-induced periodontitis[J]. J Clin Periodontol, 2023, 50(3): 368-379. DOI: 10.1111/jcpe.13748.
[32]
MERCHANT S, YEOH S, MAHAN M A, et al. Simultaneous quantification of anisotropic microcirculation and microstructure in peripheral nerve[J/OL]. J Clin Med, 2022, 11(11): 3036 [2023-11-30]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35683424/. DOI: 10.3390/jcm11113036.
[33]
LI N C, GUO Y, GONG Y N, et al. The anti-inflammatory actions and mechanisms of acupuncture from acupoint to target organs via neuro-immune regulation[J/OL]. J Inflamm Res, 2021, 14: 7191-7224 [2023-11-30]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34992414/. DOI: 10.2147/JIR.S341581.
[34]
HU L N, TIAN J X, GAO W, et al. Electroacupuncture and moxibustion promote regeneration of injured sciatic nerve through Schwann cell proliferation and nerve growth factor secretion[J]. Neural Regen Res, 2018, 13(3): 477-483. DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.228731.
[35]
HECKEL A, WEILER M, XIA A, et al. Peripheral nerve diffusion tensor imaging: assessment of axon and myelin sheath integrity[J/OL]. PLoS One, 2015, 10(6): e0130833 [2023-11-30]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26114630/. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0130833.
[36]
LIU P, LUO B, ZHAI L H, et al. Multi-parametric diffusion tensor imaging of the optic nerve for detection of dysthyroid optic neuropathy in patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy[J/OL]. Front Endocrinol, 2022, 13: 851143 [2023-11-30]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35592782/. DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.851143.
[37]
BASSER P J, PAJEVIC S, PIERPAOLI C, et al. In vivo fiber tractography using DT-MRI data[J]. Magn Reson Med, 2000, 44(4): 625-632. DOI: 10.1002/1522-2594(200010)44: 4625: aid-mrm17>3.0.co;2-o.

PREV Preoperative prediction of FIGO stage of epithelial ovarian cancer based on T2-weighted MRI peritumoral and intratumoral radiomics models
NEXT Effect on image quality of ultra-high b-values diffusion weighted imaging in patients with rectal cancer by using different bowel preparation methods
  


LINK


Tel & Fax: +8610-67113815    E-mail: editor@cjmri.cn