Arterial Spin Labeling for Quantification and Monitoring of Renal Blood Flow Changes After Acute Kidney Injury in Mice Comparison with Histopathology and Renal Function

Katja Hueper¹, Marcel Gutberlet¹, Dagmar Hartung¹, Song Rong², Hermann Haller², Martin Meier³, Frank Wacker¹, Faikah Gueler²

We investigated whether arterial spin labeling (ASL) allows monitoring renal perfusion impairment after acute kidney injury (AKI) in mice. Moderate and severe AKI were induced and renal blood flow (RBF) was measured by ASL using a 7T scanner. At day 7, RBF was significantly reduced after moderate and severe AKI. RBF returned to baseline at d28 after moderate, whereas it remained significantly reduced after severe AKI. RBF-changes correlated with impairment of renal function, renal fibrosis and kidney volume loss. Thus, ASL may help to non-invasively detect renal perfusion impairment and presence and severity of AKI at an early time point.