Tracking of neural stem cells in rats with intracerebral hemorrhage by the use of 3T MRI.
OBJECTIVE
To access the feasibility of clinically available 3T MRI to detect the migration of labeled neural stem cells (NSCs) in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in a rat model.


METHODS
The ethics committee of our institution approved this study. ICH was induced by the injection of collagenase type IV into the right striatum of ten Sprague-Dawley rats. Human NSCs conjugated with Feridex (super-paramagnetic iron oxide: SPIO) were transplanted into the left striatum one week after ICH induction. MRI was performed on a 3T scanner during the first, second, third, fourth, and sixth weeks post-transplantation. MRI was obtained using coronal T2- and T2*-weighted sequences. Two rats were sacrificed every week after in vivo MRI in order to analyze the histological findings.


RESULTS
ICH in the right striatum was detected by MRI one and two weeks after transplantation without migration of the NSCs. There was no migration of the NSCs as seen on the histological findings one week after transplantation. The histological findings two weeks after transplantation showed a small number of NSCs along the corpus callosum. On MRI three weeks after transplantation, there was a hypointense line along the corpus callosum and decreased signal intensity in the right periventricular region. Histological findings three weeks after transplantation confirmed the presence of the hypointense line representing SPIO-labeled NSCs. MRI four and six weeks after transplantation showed a hypointense spot in the right periventricular region. The histological findings four and six weeks after transplantation showed the presence of prominent NSCs in the right periventricular region.


CONCLUSIONS
3T MRI can detect the migration of NSCs in rats with ICH along the corpus callosum. Therefore, 3T MRI could be feasible for detecting the migration of NSCs in the clinical setting of stem cell therapy.
Department of Radiology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwang-ju, Korea.
Nam Kyu
NK
Chang
Yong Yeon
YY
Jeong
Jong Seong
JS
Park
Han Seong
HS
Jeong
Sujeong
S
Jang
Myung Joo
MJ
Jang
Jae Hyuk
JH
Lee
Sang Soo
SS
Shin
Woong
W
Yoon
Tae Woong
TW
Chung
Heoung Keun
HK
Kang
D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000473:pathology*; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000473:pathology; D003911:Dextrans; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D010087:Oxides; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors
D003911:Dextrans; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D010087:Oxides; D007501:Iron; C065507:ferumoxides; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide