Genotype-phenotype landscape of pituitary adrenocorticotroph hormone adenoma / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Objective:Cushing′s disease(CD) is caused by the pituitary adrenocorticotroph hormone(ACTH) secreting adenomas, leading to increased serum cortisol levels and various abnormal metabolic processes. Untreated CD is linked to high mortality, thus it is critical to elucidate its pathogenesis. This study aims to explore the pathogenesis of pituitary ACTH adenomas using whole-genome sequencing analysis.Methods:Fresh tumor tissues and peripheral blood samples were collected in 9 confirmed cases of pituitary ACTH adenomas who underwent surgery. Whole genome sequencing was then performed, followed by analysis and verification of single nucleotide mutations, copy number variation(CNV) and chromosome structure variations.Results:Somatic USP8 mutations(p.Ser718del, p. Ser718Pro, p. Pro720Arg, p. Pro720Gln) were found in 5 patients, with a rate of 55.6%; CNV of USP8 was detected in 1 patient; TP53(p.Cys135Tyr), NF1(p.Val1049Glufs*11) and KMT2C(c.3323+ 1G>A) mutations were identified in 1 patient harboring wild-type USP8. CNV analysis showed a loss of heterozygosity in multiple chromosomes in a wild-type USP8 patient. Structural variations were found in 2 with unknown significance. No germline gene mutations were detected in this study.Conclusion:Somatic USP8 mutations, increased copy number of USP8, variations of tumor-related genes such as TP53 and extensive somatic CNV all contribute to pathogenesis of CD. Chromosomal structure variations may suggest high-risk pituitary ACTH adenomas, and call for frequent follow-up and aggressive treatment.

Two case reports of X-linked acrogigantism and pathogenic gene detection / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Objective:To report the clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment of 2 cases of X-linked acrogigantism(X-LAG).Methods:The clinical information of two patients were retrospectively reported, and peripheral blood DNA was collected for copy number variations detection.Results:Both patients had onset at age of two, with common clinical characteristics including linear growth acceleration, mild facial coarsening, enlargement of hands and feet, increased appetite, and snoring, etc. The heights Z scores of the two patients before treatment were + 6.86 and + 6.53, respectively. Growth hormone(GH) glucose inhibition test showed that GH nadir values were over 1 ng/mL and insulin-like growth factor-Ⅰ(IGF-Ⅰ) were 586.0 ng/mL and 1 042.0 ng/mL, respectively. Patient 1 received three cycles of octreotide microspheres therapy followed by surgery, and achieved clinical and biochemical remission. Patient 2 had lanreotide for 5.5 years but failed biochemical remission. Microduplication of Xq26.3, which contained pathogenic gene G-protein coupled receptor 101(GPR101), was found in germline DNA of two patients through copy number variation detection, leading to the diagnosis of X-LAG.Conclusion:It should be cautious of X-LAG when children below 2 years old presents symptoms such as overgrowth and so on. Medication combined with surgery is effective.

Efficacy of intelligent diagnosis with a dynamic uncertain causality graph model for rare disorders of sex development / 医学前沿

Disorders of sex development (DSD) are a group of rare complex clinical syndromes with multiple etiologies. Distinguishing the various causes of DSD is quite difficult in clinical practice, even for senior general physicians because of the similar and atypical clinical manifestations of these conditions. In addition, DSD are difficult to diagnose because most primary doctors receive insufficient training for DSD. Delayed diagnoses and misdiagnoses are common for patients with DSD and lead to poor treatment and prognoses. On the basis of the principles and algorithms of dynamic uncertain causality graph (DUCG), a diagnosis model for DSD was jointly constructed by experts on DSD and engineers of artificial intelligence. "Chaining" inference algorithm and weighted logic operation mechanism were applied to guarantee the accuracy and efficiency of diagnostic reasoning under incomplete situations and uncertain information. Verification was performed using 153 selected clinical cases involving nine common DSD-related diseases and three causes other than DSD as the differential diagnosis. The model had an accuracy of 94.1%, which was significantly higher than that of interns and third-year residents. In conclusion, the DUCG model has broad application prospects as a computer-aided diagnostic tool for DSD-related diseases.

The Development and Function of Wearable Medical Devices in Medical Practice / 医学信息学杂志

Based on the introduction of the concept and characteristics of the wearable medical devices,the paper elaborates the development situation of wearable medical devices at home and abroad,focuses on the statement of the functions of wearable medical devices in medical practice including achieving dynamic monitoring,providing medical diagnosis data,finding out the causes of diseases,achieving early treatment of diseases,promoting medical level,improving medical techniques,and relieving the situation of medical resources shortage of China,and meanwhile analyzes the problems of wearable medical devices and the healthcare industry.

Progress in neural stem cells therapy for traumatic brain injury / 基础医学与临床

The neural stem cells (NSCs) can migrate into the injured area and differentiate into neurons or oligodendrocytes.Endogenous neurogenesis may potentially be harnessed as a putative therapy for neural injury.But the complex micro-environment due to TBI will be one of the biggest challenges for endogenous NSCs to perform neural regenerations.Exogenous NSCs have been shown to be able to survive in host tissues and regulate microenvironment via paracrine effects.Thus, transplantation of NSCs to assist neural regeneration has become an attractive option.Recently, rapid advances in the stem cell biology have raised appealing possibilities of replacing damaged or lost neural cells by transplantation of in vitro-expanded stem cells and/or their neuronal progeny.

Improving humanistic knowledge for a new medical model / 基础医学与临床

With the economic development of science and technology advance,medical model,as the total understanding of health and disease at a certain historical period,has undergone several different phases:spirtualism medical model,mechanistic medical model,Biological Medical Model and biological-psychological-social medical model.Under the background of biologic and psychogenic society medicine,the professional quality of contemporary doctor faces new requirements and challenges.This article discusses the necessity,importance and approaches of intensifying research on humanistic knowledge which adapts to the transformation of medical model.

Neuroprotective Effects of Grape Seed Procyanidin Extract on Ischemia-Reperfusion Brain Injury / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

Objective Oxidative stress (OS) plays a crucial role in ischemic stroke. Grape seed procyanidin extract (GSPE) was reported to be a critical regulator of OS. We hypothesized that GSPE might also be protective in ischemia-reperfusion brain injury. This study aimed to explore whether GSPE administration can protect mice from ischemia-reperfusion brain injury.Methods Transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was conducted followed by reperfusion for 24 hours to make ischemia-reperfusion brain injury in mice that received GSPE (MCAOG, n=60) or normal saline (MCAONS, n=60). Sham-operated mice (GSPE group and normal saline group) were set as controls. The neurological severity score (NSS) was used to evaluate neural function impairment 1 hour, 24 hour, 3 days and 7 days after MCAO. Mice underwent brain T2WI imaging with a 3T animal MRI scanner 24 hours after reperfusion, and the stroke volume of brains were calculated according to abnormal signal intensity. Immunohistopathological analysis of brain tissues at 24 h after reperfusion was performed for neuronal nuclear antigen (NeuN), CD34, Bcl-2, and Bax. Glutathione peroxidation (GSH-Px) activity and the level of malonaldehyde (MDA) of brain tissue were also examined. The above indexes were compared among the groups statistically.Results Significant functional improvement was observed 24 hours after MCAO in MCAOG group compared to MCAONS group (P<0.05). MCAOG group had smaller cerebral stroke volume (22.46 ± 11.45 mmvs. 47.84±9.06 mm, P<0.05) than MCAONS group 24 hours after MCAO. More mature NeuN-immunoreactive neurons and more CD34-positive cells in peri-infarct zones were observed in brain tissue of MCAOG mice 24 h after MCAO than that of MCAONS mice (both P<0.05). MCAONS mice had significantly higher number of Bax-positive cells in brain tissue than MCAOG (P<0.05). The mean MDA level was significantly lower (P<0.05) and the GSH-Px activity was significantly higher (P<0.05) in brains of MCAOG mice compared to those of MCAONS mice.Conclusion GSPE administration protects mice from ischemia-reperfusion brain injury through attenuating oxidative stress and apoptosis, promoting angiogenesis, and activating antioxidant enzyme GSH-Px. GSPE may represent a new therapeutical direction for the treatment of ischemia-reperfusion brain injury.

Correlation between Different Postoperative Serum Cortisol Cut-off Values Measured in Different Periods and Long-term Outcomes in Patients with Cushing's Disease / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To investigate the correlation between different postoperative serum cortisol cut-off values measured in different periods and the long-term outcomes in patients with Cushing's disease (CD). Methods The clinical data of 102 CD patients undergoing transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from May 1985 to July 2008 were analyzed retrospectively. The differences of long-term outcomes were compared between patients with cortisol levels below 2 μg/dl (2 μg/dl group) and levels between 2 and 5 μg/dl (5 μg/dl group) in the 1postoperative day and 3 and 6 months after surgery. Results The mean follow-up duration was (10.7±1.7) years (range:5-29.1 years). Among these 102 patients,the disease was cured in 74 patients (72.5%) and recurred in 28 patients (27.5%). On the 1postoperative day,there were 63 patients in the 2 μg/dl group,in which 48 patients (76.2%) achieved long-term cure;there were 39 patients in the 5 μg/dl group,in which 26 (66.7%) achieved long-term cure. The difference was not statistically significant (χ=1.097,P=0.295). Three months after TSS,the long-term cure rate was 84.2% (48/57) in the 2 μg/dl group,which was significantly higher than that (65.0%,26/40) in the 5 μg/dl group (χ=4.795,P=0.029). Six months after TSS,the long-term cure rate was 88.7% (47/53) in the 2 μg/dl group,which was significantly higher than that(69.2%,27/39) in the 5 μg/dl group(χ=5.400,P=0.020). Conclusion The serum cortisol level of below 2 μg/dl is more useful than 2-5 μg/dl 3 months and 6 months after surgery in predicting the prognosis of CD patients.

Walking ability and cognitive function changes in normal pressure hydrocephalus patients after cerebrospinal fluid tap test / 中华神经科杂志

Objective To explore the walking ability and cognitive function changes in normal pressure hydrocephalus patients after cerebrospinal fluid ( CSF ) tap test for helping clinicians choose evaluation time and methods.Methods Twenty-seven patients with probable normal pressure hydrocephalus in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from 2013 to 2014 were included.All patients were evaluated using Minimum Mental State Examination, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Ability of Daily Life, and Idiopathic Normal Pressure Grade Scale, underwent 1.5 T head MRI scan and had ventriculo-peritoneal shunt after informerd consent.A lumbar tap with removal of 30 ml of CSF was performed in all patients.Evaluations included the 10 m walking time and steps, Trail Making Test A, number code and Stroop test.Those tests were performed 1 day before and 4, 8, 24, 72 hours after CSF tap test.The walking test and neuropsychological test results were compared between those before and after the CSF tap test.Correlation analysis was conducted between the normal pressure hydrocephalus featured MRI characters and CSF tap test responses including Evan′s index, callosum corpus angle, mismatch between narrowed high-convexity and medial subarachnoid spaces and enlarged Sylvian fissure associated with ventriculomegaly . Results Compared with 0 h walking time (23.56(14.00) s), the 10 m walking time on the 8 hours and 24 hours after CSF tap test, which were 19.41 ( 9.00 ) s and 19.67 ( 11.00 ) s respectively, were significantly improved ( Z values in Wilcoxon signed ranks test were -3.416 and -3.443 respectively,both P<0.01).There were no statistically significant differences on every evaluation time point.The neuropsychological tests changings were significant on 24 hours and 72 hours.Compared with 0 h neuropsychological test z scale (-10.28(21.60)), the z scale on the 24 hours and 72 hours after CSF tap test, which were -6.29 (26.72), -3.37(36.15)respectively, were significantly improved (Z values in Wilcoxon signed ranks test were -3.506,-2.701 respectively, both P<0.01).The Evan′s index, callosum corpus and the feature of mismatch between narrowed high-convexity and medial subarachnoid spaces and enlarged Sylvian fissure were not statistically correlated with the response of CSF tap test.Conclusions Walking ability in normal pressure hydrocephalus patients was improved after the CSF tap test.The Evan′s index, callosum corpus and the feature of mismatch between narrowed high-convexity and medial subarachnoid spaces and enlarged Sylvian fissure might not be correlated with the response of CSF tap test.

The value of X-ray guided desmopressin stimulated bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling in diagnosing the recurrence of ACTH dependent Cushing disease or ineffectiveness of surgery or radiotherapy / 中华放射学杂志

Objective To investigate the value of X-ray guided desmopressin (DDAVP) stimulated bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling (IPSS) in diagnosing the recurrence of ACTH dependent Cushing disease or ineffectiveness after surgery or radiotherapy. Methods Retrospective analyses of patients with recurrent ACTH dependent Cushing disease (31 cases) or ineffective (3 cases) treatment after surgery or radiotherapy from January 2013 to October 2014 in our hospital was conducted. Bilateral inferior petrosal sinus angiography showed the same side of the cavernous sinus to prove successful intubation. The cases with discontinuous of the inferior petrosal sinus and cavernous sinus were excluded by this study. Finally, there were 34 cases of the patients in this study. Diagnosis was based on the ratio of ACTH level in IPS to peripheral vein after desmopressin test.The gradient≥2 at baseline or gradient≥3 after desmopressin test suggested the sources were in the pituitary. Diagnosis was confirmed by gold standard to investigate the value of X-ray guided desmopressin (DDAVP) stimulated bilateral IPSS. Results The IPS gradient≥2 at baseline or gradient≥3 after desmopressin test suggested the sources were in the pituitary in 30 patients. A total of 22 (22/30) patients underwent surgery with a final diagnosis of ACTH adenoma. The symptoms were obviously relieved in 8 (8/30) cases after sellar area gamma knife treatment and lesions were confirmed in the pituitary. IPS gradient<2 at baseline or gradient<3 after desmopressin test was found in 4 cases. One case (1/4) was found to have for ACTH adenoma after pituitary surgery. The other 3 cases (3/4) were confirmed to have lung carcinoid and clinical symptom alleviated after surgery. The sensitivity of desmopressin stimulated IPSS was 96.8%, the specificity was 100%, and the accuracy was 97.1%. Conclusion Desmopressin stimulated IPSS is an effective diagnostic procedure in diagnosing ACTH dependent Cushing disease recurrence or ineffectiveness after surgery or radiotherapy.

Clinical value of 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT in pituitary adenoma: a pilot study / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective To investigate the correlation between the uptake of 68Ga-DOTATATE in pituitary adenoma and clinical parameters such as hormonal hypersecretion,and to evaluate the curative effect with 68Ga-DOTATATE imaging after octreotide therapy in patients with growth hormone-secreting adenoma (GH adenoma).Methods A total of 34 patients (15 males,19 females) with pituitary adenoma were recruited,including 5 adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting adenoma (ACTH adenoma),17 GH adenoma,and 12 non-functioning adenoma (NF adenoma).In the 17 patients with GH adenoma,there were 13 patients treated by octreotide intramuscular injection 3 times with a total dose of 60 mg for 3 months.The finial diagnosis was based on histology.68Ga-DOTATATE imaging was performed,and SUV tumor volume and density index (DI) were recorded in all patients.The DI was the ratio of tumor SUVmean to tumor volume.The effective therapy was defined as more than 50％ of hormonal suppression or more than 20％ of tumor shrinkage.Non-parametric Mann-Whitney u test was used.Results NF adenoma showed greater tumor volume than secretory adenoma,((9.10±7.00) cm3 vs (2.92±1.60) cm3,u=43.0,P＜0.05),whereas DI of secretory adenoma was higher than that of NF adenoma (7.16±4.52 vs 1.08±1.40,u=48.5,P＜0.05).Additionally,DI was significantly higher(3.55±0.91 vs 1.38±0.69,u =2.0,P＜0.05) in patients (n =8) with effective treatment than that in patients without effective treatment (n =5).Conclusion 68 Ga-DOTATATE may be a useful probe for PET imaging in patients with pituitary adenoma,and may be valuable for predicting the therapeutic effect of somatostatin analog treatment.

Evaluation of hyperacute cerebral ischemia in rats using micro SPECT/CT / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective To assess the diagnostic value of 99Tcm-ECD SPECT for hyperacute cerebral ischemia using rats models.Methods A stable and permanent acute cerebral ischemia model using unilateral middle cerebral occlusion was tested in 24 healthy SD rats.The rats were randomly divided into 6 groups according to the time duration between imaging and induced-ischemia (1,2,3,4,5 and 6 h,respectively).The rats were sacrificed immediately after 99Tcm-ECD SPECT/CT imaging and then the brain tissue was dissected for triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) and HE staining.The count ratio of affected cortex to the contralateral cortex of ＜ 50％ was defined as ischemia on micro SPECT/CT.The volume of the ischemic area was calculated on both SPECT/CT and TTC images.Paired t test was used to determine the statistical difference between the volumes on SPECT/CT and TTC staining.Results The ischemia volume evaluated by TTC staining at 1,2,3,4,5 and 6 h after occlusion was (73.98 ± 27.76),(90.75 ±29.00),(135.00±40.83),(136.25±22.51),(158.50±32.72) and (168.00±32.75) mm3,respectively.The corresponding ischemia volume evaluated by micro SPECT/CT was (98.50 ± 27.77),(110.40±26.80),(157.00±36.82),(165.50±26.54),(175.75±31.16) and (177.25 ±34.33) mm3,respectively,which was concordant with that by TTC staining at each time point (t:-1.681 to-0.390,all P ＞0.05).The ischemic area on micro SPECT/CT imaging was consistent with the pink area by TTC staining.The volume evaluated by micro SPECT/CT tended to be constant 3 h after the occlusion.The ischemia volume showed no significant difference among 3,4,5 and 6 h (all P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions Micro SPECT/CT may have an haemodynamic value for evaluating in vivo cerebral ischemia applied in a rat model.It might have clinical value for the evaluation and decision-making of ultra acute cerebral infarctions.

Biological characteristics of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and their application in ischemic stroke / 国际脑血管病杂志

The current therapeutic strategies for ischemic stroke are more limited. In the field of cell therapy, a series of basic and clinical research have suggested that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells have therapeutic effect on ischemic stroke. This article mainly reviews the biological characteristics of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and the latest progresses in research on the treatment of ischemic stroke.

Comparison of Three Procedures in the Establishment of Rat Models of Focal Cerebral Ischemia / 中国实验动物学报

@#Objective To compare and evaluate the efficacy of three operating procedures to produce permanent rat models of cerebral ischemia, including mortality, neurological evaluation score, infarction volume of ischemia and time consumed in the operation. Methods The rats were randomly divided into three groups. Group 1: The common carotid artery (CCA) and external carotid artery (ECA) were ligated during the operation and ICA was clipped temporarily by artery clamp. Group 2: The CCA and ECA were ligated and the superior thyroid artery and pterygopalatine artery were exposed but not ligated. Silk suture was utilized to hang the internal carotid artery (ICA). Plastic suture was inserted into ICA and stepped over the initiation point of pterygopalatine artery under microscopic observation. Group 3: The CCA and ECA were ligated and ICA was hanged with a silk suture, and the pterygopalatine artery was not exposed, but during the period of inserting plastic suture, the proximal part of the suture was pressed to make the suture's round distal end elevated, and then pass the initial point of pterygopalatine artery. Mortality, neurological score, volume of ischemic infarction and operation time consumed of the three groups were compared after the operation. Results The procedure to prepare the model was most efficient in the group 3, taking only 17.5 min to complete, significantly less than that in the group 1 (50 min) and group 2 (40 min), (P<0.05), and with a lower mortality and more steady neurological evaluation score and infarction volume. Conclusion The use of the third operating method can shorten the operation time and improve the efficacy of operation. Using this method, more consistent and repetitive focal cerebral ischemia models can be produced effectively, and meet the demands of clinical trials.

Treatment of symptomatic diabetic peripheral neuropathy by surgical decompression of peripheral nerves / 基础医学与临床

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy(DPN)is the most common complications of DM.It is considered to be progressive and irreversible.DPN occurred in a stocking and glove distribution,the mainly symptoms are pain,numbness and paresthesias.It is also the main cause of ulceration,infection and amputation.Usually,there is no special treatment for DPN besides blood-glucose control and pain control.Recently,Surgical decompression of peripheral nerves is used to restore sensation and relieve pian among DPN patients by Prof.Dellon and other doctors who have proved its efficacy in treatment of DPN.

Recent Advances in Research on Methodology of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplant for Ischemic Stroke / 国际脑血管病杂志

The current therapeutic strategies for ischemic stroke are more limited. In the field of biotherapy bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell(BMSC) is a seed cell with the most potential. Synthesizing the advances in methodology of preclinical studies, this article mainly reviews the types of BMSC, time window for cell transplantation, approaches of cell transplantation, tracing technique in vivo after cell transplantation, and treatment effectiveness evaluation.

Effect of transplanted human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells on behavioral changes of cerebral ischemic rats / 基础医学与临床

Objective Investigate the behaviors of cerebral ischemic rats after treatment with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs).Methods Bone marrow was collected and BMSCs were separated and cultivated.Twenty-four adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were performed transient(2 hours) middle cerebral arterial occlusion(MCAO) and then divided into treated group(n=12) and control group(n=12).All rats received corresponding behavioral training before surgery,15 ?L hBMSCs(2?1010cells/L) and D-hanks(15 ?L) were injected into the brain cortex after 24 h of MCAO.Morris water maze test,NSS,Rotarod test and adhesive-removal test were performed serially and cyclically from the 4th day after transplantation.Results Since the 8th day after transplantation,the mean escape time and the mean swimming distance of treated group significantly are shorter than control's in Morris water maze test(P

Effects of superparamagnetic iron oxide on proliferation and neural differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells / 基础医学与临床

Objective To label Flk-1+CD31-CD34-human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) with superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) and to evaluate the effect of SPIO on proliferation and neural differentiation of labeled cells. Methods hMSCs were incubated with SPIO (50 mg/L) and PLL (1.5 mg/L) overnight(12～18 hours). Both labeled and unlabeled cells went through growth curve test,Trypan blue staining and flow cytometer to evaluate the effects of SPIO on cell proliferation,cell viability and surface markers. Immunofluorescence assay was conducted for neuron and neuroglia specific cell surface markers after neural induction protocols were used. Results Cell viability of the two groups were both more than 90% for 7 days. There was no significant difference in cell viability and growth curve test between two groups. The results of flow cytometer showed that both labeled and unlabeled cells expressed CD44, CD105 and Flk-1 markers, while CD31 and CD34 were negative. After neural induction, the statistical analysis of A value for all the markers showed no significant difference between the two groups.Conclusion SPIO, as MRI cellular contrast, is safe and efficient.

The treatment of neural system diseases with adult stem cells——A potential field of translational medicine / 基础医学与临床

Neural system diseases are the significant burden threatening life quality of human beings. The investigation of stem cells especially the adult stem cells improved the related basic and clinical research of biological therapy and highlighted a prpspective future. The transplantation of adult stem cells maybe an effective method to treat neural system diseases. So the collaboration between the basic and clinical research will be strenthened to serve patients. Translational medicine is a potential field in which the basic medicine and clinical medicine and linked.

Application of MRI and iron oxide particle labeling in stem cell therapyof brain ischemic rats / 基础医学与临床

Objective To explore the value of MRI and iron oxide particle labeling in stem cell therapy of stroke model. Methods Nine rats with middle cerebral artery occlusion were randomly selected and underwent Neurological Severity Scoring(NSS), MRI and pathological examination. The results of the 3 evaluation criteria were correlated. Bone marrow stromal cells were labeled with superparamagnetic iron oxide particles. Eighteen models were screened and divided into 3 groups based on different transplantation sites. MRI was performed at different time points. The MR appearance of labeled stem cell transplantation sites was observed. The relative infarct volume of the models in three groups were recorded and compared. Results Significant correlations among the NSS, MRI and pathological examination were found. Different MR sequences could depict local transplanted labeled stem cells and gradient echo sequence was the most sensitive method, while the T2WI showed its advantage of better temporal resolution. MR images showed the morphological changes of transplanted stem cells. The change of the relative infarct volume showed no significant differences among the three groups. Conclusion MRI is an ideal tool to evaluate the rat stroke model. MRI together with iron oxide particle labeling technique helps to in vivo track and monitor the transplanted stem cells.