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• Clinical Articles •
An experimental study of intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging for evaluating the therapeutic effects of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell in a rat model of peripheral nerve injury
LI Junfeng  MENG Fanqi  HUANG Wensheng  CHEN Qiuyi  PAN Jintong  GAO Jinyun  HAO Liantao  QIN Jinhua  LIANG Yingying  YU Xuewen  QIN Haodong  CHEN Yueyao 

Cite this article as: LI J F, MENG F Q, HUANG W S, et al. An experimental study of intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging for evaluating the therapeutic effects of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell in a rat model of peripheral nerve injury[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2026, 17(3): 22-29. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.03.004.


[Abstract] Objective To investigate the value of quantitative parameters derived from intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) imaging in evaluating the therapeutic effects of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMMSC) in a rat model of peripheral nerve injury.Materials and Methods Thirty-six Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly assigned to a BMMSC group or a phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) control group. Each group underwent magnetic resonance imaging, motor function assessment, and histological analysis at five time points: before the operation and 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks after the operation. IVIM perfusion fraction (f) assessed nerve perfusion, while T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) and T2 mapping assessed edema. Toluidine blue staining and immunofluorescence were used to assess neural structural alterations. The sciatic function index (SFI) was employed to assess functional recovery. The expression of vascular endothelial cell-specific markers (CD31) and inflammatory factors (IL-1α, IL-10 and PPARγ) was evaluated by immunohistochemistry.Results IVIM-f recovery, myelin regeneration, and nerve fiber repair were all significantly better in the BMMSC group than in the control group (all P < 0.05). Immunohistochemical analysis showed lower IL-1α and higher IL-10 and PPARγ levels in the BMMSC group than in the control group (all P < 0.05). And the expression of CD31 was significantly increased in the BMMSC group (P < 0.05). Moreover, the IVIM-f was closely correlated with both histopathological and functional outcomes.Conclusions Quantitative IVIM parameters, particularly IVIM-f, can reflect perfusion recovery and nerve regeneration earlier than T2 values after stem cell therapy in rats with peripheral nerve injury, and may serve as a potential imaging biomarker for evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of stem cell treatment.
[Keywords] peripheral nerve injuries；nerve regeneration；mesenchymal stem cells；intravoxel incoherent motion；magnetic resonance imaging；perfusion；regenerative microenvironment；inflammation

LI Junfeng1   MENG Fanqi1   HUANG Wensheng2   CHEN Qiuyi1   PAN Jintong1, 3   GAO Jinyun1   HAO Liantao1   QIN Jinhua1   LIANG Yingying4   YU Xuewen4   QIN Haodong5   CHEN Yueyao1*  

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

2 Department of Radiology, the Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China

3 Department of Nephrology, Shenzhen Hengsheng Hospital, Shenzhen 518101, China

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

5 MR Research Collaboration, Siemens Healthineers, Shanghai 200120, China

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

Conflicts of interest   None.

Received  2025-11-06
Accepted  2026-01-08
DOI: 10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.03.004
Cite this article as: LI J F, MENG F Q, HUANG W S, et al. An experimental study of intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging for evaluating the therapeutic effects of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell in a rat model of peripheral nerve injury[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2026, 17(3): 22-29. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.03.004.

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