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Updated: Apr 26, 2026
Use of Ultra-high Field MRI in Small Rodent Models of Polycystic Kidney Disease for In Vivo Phenotyping and Drug Monitoring
Published on: June 23, 2015
Four-dimensional MRI of renal function in the developing mouse
Luke Xie1, Ergys Subashi, Yi Qi
1Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
Abstract:
The major roles of filtration, metabolism and high blood flow make the kidney highly vulnerable to drug-induced toxicity and other renal injuries. A method to follow kidney function is essential for the early screening of toxicity and malformations. In this study, we acquired high spatiotemporal resolution (four dimensional) datasets of normal mice to follow changes in kidney structure and function during development. The data were acquired with dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (via keyhole imaging) and a cryogenic surface coil, allowing us to obtain a full three-dimensional image (isotropic resolution, 125 microns) every 7.7 s over a 50-min scan. This time course permitted the demonstration of both contrast enhancement and clearance. Functional changes were measured over a 17-week course (at 3, 5, 7, 9, 13 and 17 weeks). The time dimension of the MRI dataset was processed to produce unique image contrasts to segment the four regions of the kidney: cortex (CO), outer stripe (OS) of the outer medulla (OM), inner stripe (IS) of the OM and inner medulla (IM). Local volumes, time-to-peak (TTP) values and decay constants (DC) were measured in each renal region. These metrics increased significantly with age, with the exception of DC values in the IS and OS. These data will serve as a foundation for studies of normal renal physiology and future studies of renal diseases that require early detection and intervention.
Insights
This study used advanced MRI to track kidney development in mice, revealing age-related changes in renal structure and function. These findings provide a baseline for understanding kidney health and disease.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Imaging
- Renal Physiology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- The kidney's critical functions make it susceptible to drug-induced toxicity and injury.
- Early detection of renal toxicity and malformations requires effective methods to monitor kidney function.
- Understanding normal kidney development is crucial for identifying deviations and diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and apply a high spatiotemporal resolution MRI method to track changes in kidney structure and function during normal development in mice.
- To establish a foundational dataset for normal renal physiology.
- To enable future studies on renal diseases requiring early detection.
Main Methods:
- Acquisition of four-dimensional (4D) dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) datasets in normal mice using keyhole imaging and a cryogenic surface coil.
- Achieving high isotropic resolution (125 microns) with rapid 3D imaging (every 7.7 seconds) over a 50-minute scan.
- Processing MRI data to segment four distinct kidney regions (cortex, outer stripe, inner stripe, inner medulla) and measuring local volumes, time-to-peak (TTP), and decay constants (DC) over a 17-week period.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated successful visualization of contrast enhancement and clearance dynamics within the kidney over time.
- Quantified age-dependent increases in local volumes and TTP values across renal regions.
- Observed significant age-related changes in renal metrics, with notable exceptions in decay constants for specific outer medulla regions.
Conclusions:
- The developed 4D DCE-MRI technique provides unprecedented insights into normal kidney development and function.
- Age-related changes in renal structure and function were successfully characterized, establishing a normative dataset.
- This foundational data is essential for future research into early detection and intervention strategies for renal diseases.
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