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Micro-MRI methods to detect renal cysts in mice.
Hisataka Kobayashi1, Satomi Kawamoto, Martin W Brechbiel
1Metabolism Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA. Kobayash@mail.nih.gov
Kidney International
|April 17, 2004
Summary
Micro-MRI with a new 3D-FIESTA sequence visualizes kidney cysts in mice without contrast agents. This technique aids in studying chronic kidney disease progression and cyst development in vivo.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical imaging
- Renal disease research
- Mouse models
Background:
- Transgenic and knockout mouse models are crucial for understanding disease mechanisms.
- Previous micro-MRI with contrast agents visualized renal structure and function but struggled with differentiating cysts from fibrotic tissue.
- Contrast-enhanced MRI depicts cysts as low-intensity areas, limiting assessment of morphologic changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate micro-Magnetic Resonance Imaging (micro-MRI) using a novel three-dimensional MR hydrography sequence (3D-FIESTA) for visualizing chronic kidney cysts.
- To determine if 3D-FIESTA can detect cystic changes in the kidneys without the need for contrast agents.
Main Methods:
- Utilized micro-MRI with a three-dimensional fast imaging employing steady-state acquisition (3D-FIESTA) sequence.
- Applied the technique to mouse models with induced or genetic kidney diseases.
Main Results:
- Successfully depicted multiple renal cortical cysts as small as 0.2 mm in a sickle cell disease mouse model.
- Observed serial changes in renal cysts larger than 0.2 mm over a 2.5-month period in cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) knockout mice.
- Noted that some cysts exhibited a decrease in size over the observation period.
Conclusions:
- Micro-MRI employing the 3D-FIESTA sequence effectively visualizes kidney cyst formation in living mouse models.
- This contrast-agent-free approach offers a valuable tool for studying the dynamics of cystic kidney diseases in vivo.