Abstract
PURPOSE: Quantitative multi-parametric MRI (mpMRI) methods may allow the assessment of renal injury and function in a sensitive and objective manner. This study aimed to evaluate an array of MRI methods that exploit endogenous contrasts including relaxation rates, pool size ratio (PSR) derived from quantitative magnetization transfer (qMT), chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST), nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) for their sensitivity and specificity in detecting abnormal features associated with kidney disease in a murine model of unilateral ureter obstruction (UUO). METHODS: MRI scans were performed in anesthetized C57BL/6N mice 1, 3, or 6 days after UUO at 7T. Paraffin tissue sections were stained with Masson trichrome following MRI. RESULTS: Compared to contralateral kidneys, the cortices of UUO kidneys showed decreases of relaxation rates R(1) and R(2) , PSR, NOE, and ADC. No significant changes in CEST effects were observed for the cortical region of UUO kidneys. The MRI parametric changes in renal cortex are related to tubular cell death, tubular atrophy, tubular dilation, urine retention, and interstitial fibrosis in the cortex of UUO kidneys. CONCLUSION: Measurements of multiple MRI parameters provide comprehensive information about the molecular and cellular changes produced by UUO. Magn Reson Med 79:2216-2227, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.