Signs of a Tubular Defect Preceding the Impairment of Glomerular Filtration in Alport Mice as Measured by DCE-MRI

Didier Laurent¹, Farid Sari-Sarraf¹, Peter O'Donnell¹, Jennifer Allport-Anderson¹

This in vivo study explored the gradual development of kidney dysfunction in the COL4A3-knockout mouse model of Alport syndrome (AS) using DCE-MRI. Unlike global and relatively insensitive markers of kidney function, such as proteinuira, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine, results obtained by DCE-MRI demonstrated the specific defects in glomerular filtration and tubular water reabsorption on a regional basis, as early signs of renal failure. Results of this study can be used for the evaluation of different therapies targeting AS.