David J. Niles1, Jeremy W. Gordon1, Matthew R. Smith1, Shannon Reese2, Arjang Djamali2, Elizabeth A. Sadowski3, Sean B. Fain1, 3
1Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States; 2Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States; 3Radiology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
Obstructive nephropathy is the most common cause of end-stage renal disease in children. Currently we have a poor understanding of its pathogenesis, prognosis, and the best course of treatment. Non-invasive, non-radioactive diagnostic approaches are desirable. In this study we used MRI to monitor renal function during obstructive nephropathy in a 14-day unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) mouse model. Blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD), dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE), and hyperpolarized [1-13C] pyruvate (13C) MRI were used to assess renal oxygenation, perfusion, and pyruvate metabolism, respectively. The results show the potential of using functional MRI, particularly 13C MRI, to track the progression of obstructive nephropathy.