White matter (WM) injury after bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCAO) in rat is associated with disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). We hypothesized that WM injury as seen on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) would correlate with regions of increased MMP activity. MRI was performed 3 days after BCAO surgery in rats. Apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) were calculated and vascular permeability was quantified by the multiple-time graphical analysis (MTGA) method, using gadolinium-diethylenetriamine pentaacid (Gd-DTPA). After MRI, one group of animals had BBB permeability measured in the WM with (14)C-sucrose, and another had Evans blue (EB) injected for fluorescent microscopy for MMP-2, MMP-9, tight junction proteins (TJPs), and in situ zymography. We found that ADC values were increased in WM in BCAO rats compared with controls (P<0.05). WM with increased ADC had leakage of EB. MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity on in situ zymograms corresponded with leakage of EB. Although increased permeability to EB could be visualized, permeability quantification with (14)C-sucrose and Gd-DTPA failed to show increases and TJPs were intact. We propose that increased ADC, which is a marker of vasogenic edema, is related to activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9. MRI provides unique information that can be used to guide tissue studies of WM injury.