A combined morphometric approach to feature mouse kidney vasculature

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Medical Imaging
• Anatomy

Background:

• Kidney function is intrinsically linked to the health of its vascular network.
• Vascular disorders like capillary rarefaction are significant contributors to chronic kidney disease (CKD).
• Accurate methodologies for studying the renal vascular network are crucial for understanding and treating kidney diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a protocol for detailed characterization of kidney vasculature in mice.
• To establish a fast and reliable method for quantitative analysis of renal vascular networks using micro-computed tomography (μCT).
• To integrate μCT findings with traditional histological techniques for comprehensive vascular assessment.

Main Methods:

• Development of a multiparametric protocol centered on micro-computed tomography (μCT) for imaging kidney vasculature.
• Utilization of a contrast agent for perfusion of the vascular network prior to μCT scanning.
• Application of iterative cropping and sample-specific thresholding for quantitative analysis directly from μCT data.
• Complementary use of traditional histological and immunofluorescence techniques for contextual validation.

Main Results:

• The developed protocol accurately quantifies kidney and vascular volumes in BALB/c mice (kidney volume: 147.8 mm³, vascular volume: 4.9%).
• Histological analysis revealed differential vessel density across kidney regions: cortex (19.03 vessels/ROI), outer medulla (10.6 vessels/ROI), and inner medulla (5.4 vessels/ROI).
• Vascular distribution analysis indicated that 55% of the vasculature resides in the cortex, 30% in the outer medulla, and 15% in the inner medulla.

Conclusions:

• The proposed integrated approach provides a rapid and accurate method for characterizing organ vasculature, particularly useful in preclinical research.
• This protocol enables detailed quantitative analysis of the renal vascular network using μCT, aiding in the study of kidney diseases.
• The findings highlight the utility of μCT in complementing traditional methods for a comprehensive understanding of vascular anatomy and pathology.