Figure 3.

Neural stem cell–derived extracellular vesicle (NSC EV) treatment promotes increased diffusivity of ischemic lesions and preserved white matter integrity of the corpus callosum. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps derived from diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) sequences revealed signal void indicative of restricted diffusion and cytotoxic edema. NSC EV–treated pigs exhibited a significantly (P<0.01) lower percent decrease in ADC values relative to control pigs 1-day post-MCAO (−18.72%±2.55% vs −32.35%±1.54%, respectively; A, C, white arrows), suggesting improved diffusivity in ischemic lesions. Color-coded fractional anisotropy (FA) maps depicted territorial changes in the corpus callosum 84-days post-MCAO. NSC EV–treated pigs exhibited a significantly (P<0.01) lower percent decrease in FA values (−13.94%±3.18% vs −43.29%±6.65%, respectively; B, D, white arrows) when compared with control pigs, suggesting preserved white matter integrity. *Significant difference between treatment groups.