Abstract： Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect of mononuclear bone marrow cells (MBMCs) transplantation to rabbit liver with acute hepatic injury ( AHI ) and the feasibility that evaluated the functional recovery of acute hepatic injury model with MR-DWI. Methods 10 healthy rabbits were chosen to be normal control group which was only carried out MR-DWI scan of normal liver. 42 model rabbits of acute liver injury were randomly selected and divided into 2 groups: transplanted group( n = 21 ) and control group( n =21 ). Each rabbit of the transplanted group was infused 5 ml MBMCs suspension (about containing 2 × 107 MBMCs) into its liver at multiple sites. All manipulations to each rabbit in the control group were as same as those in the transplanted group except that 5 ml of D-Hanks solution was injected instead of MBMCs suspension. 7 model rabbits respectively chosen from the transplanted group and the control group were carried out MR-DWI scan and calculated the mean ADC value of the injury liver and then were killed on day 7, day 14 and day 28 of AHI establishment after transplantation. Other comparative assays were performed including: functional assay of liver, pathological examination of liver sections. Results Before MBMCs transplantation, the difference of liver function was not significant between the transplanted group and the control group. But after MBMCs transplantation , the liver functions of the transplanted group were significantly better than those of the control group at all time points tested ( P ＜ 0. 05 ). On day 7 of AHI establishment after MBMCs transplantation, the mean ADC values of the transplanted group and the control group were significant lower than those of the normal control group(P ＜0. 05 ). The mean ADC values of the transplanted group and the control group increased to the mean ADC values of the normal control group over time. At the same time point , the mean ADC values of the transplanted group were significantly higher than those of the control group. In the transplanted group, the difference of average ADC values between any two time points were significantly (P ＜ 0. 05). In the control group, the mean ADC values on day 7 were lower than those on day 14 and day 28 (P＜0. 05), the mean ADC values on day 14 were lower than those on day 28(P =0. 417). The correlation between the average ADC value and the ALT or AST was negative( P ＜0. 05 ), the correlation between the average ADC value and the ALB was positive( P ＜ 0. 05). Along with the increase of the average ADC value, the liver function of the AHI model rabbit gradually got better. Conclusion Transplantation of MBMCs promoted the recovery of liver function of AHI model rabbit The recovery of the injury liver could be detected with observing dynamic change of its mean ADC value.