Choong-Heon Lee1,2, Jeremy J. Flint2,3, Lisa Guay-Woodford4, Stephen J. Blackband3,5
1Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; 2McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; 3Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; 4Genetics, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL, USA; 5National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Tallahassee, FL, USA
Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a major cause of end-stage renal disease in humans. Here we apply MR microscopy for evaluating the structural abnormalities involving ductal structures in the kidney and liver of the cpk mouse model of recessive PKD. MR microscopy of the excised tissues differentiates between wild type and mutant mouse kidney and liver, and also shows a significant difference in the volume fraction of the biliary ducts to total liver volume. These results suggest that MRM may play a role in evaluating genetic models of PKD, quantitating variance for genetic modifier studies and monitoring of potential therapies.