Multi-parametric MRI assessment of white matter injury in premature neonatal rats

Motivation: To provide a visual basis for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of premature white matter injury (PWMI). Goal(s): To monitor the changes in PWMI in neonatal rats using multimodal MRI combined with multiple histological staining and to explore the possible mechanisms. Approach: 24 healthy 3-day-old Sprague Dawley neonatal rats were used, with 12 of them having PWMI, for histology and MRI scanning. Results: Multimodal MRI can assess changes in the intracerebral microenvironment and cerebral white matter injury in neonatal rats at the early stage of PWMI modeling, providing a visual basis for the diagnosis and treatment of PWMI. Impact: After PWMI in neonatal rats, cerebral blood flow and blood oxygen levels are low, disrupting the intracerebral microenvironment. This inhibits the proliferation and differentiation of cerebral OPCs in PWMI rats, leading to cerebral white matter injury.