MRI evaluation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of cartilage damage in RA rabbit model
ZHOU Zhong-heng1, CUI Yan-an1, LIU Zhao1, LIU Hong-xia1, HUANG Hai-qing1, ZHANG Quan-bin2
1. Department of MR, Jiangsu Province Hospital of TCM, Nanjing 210029, China;2. Department of Orthopedics, Nanjing First Hospital Affiliated of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210006, China
Abstract：Objective: To observe the effects of bone marrow stem cells(BMSCs) transplantation in treating rheumatoid arthritis(RA) in rabbits by measuring the thickness of knee joint articular cartilage using MRI. Methods: Ovalbumin was used to induce right knee rheumatoid arthritis in 42 New Zealand white rabbits. Four wks later, MRI and pathologic examination were carried out in 6 rabbits, the remaining 36 rabbits were randomly and equally divided into the RA group as control and the BMSCs transplantation group. Normal saline was injected into the right knee joint of the former group and same volume of BMSCs was injected into the right knee joint of the latter group. At 1, 2, 3 months after injection, 6 rabbits at each time point of both groups were given MRI and pathologic examination respectively, the thickness of knee articular cartilage was measured by MRI and the pathologic changes were observed and scorings were recorded. Results: After 1, 2, 3 months the cartilage in the RA group showed thinning and damaged with high pathologic score. While the cartilage was thickened with lower pathologic scorings in the BMSCs group. MRI measurements and pathology scoring correlated well. Conclusion: MRI can be used to evaluate the effect of BMSCs in the treatment of cartilage in early RA.
2011, Vol. 22 
