Evaluation of Intra-Renal Oxygenation in Db/db Mice by BOLD MRI

Lu-Ping Li¹, Sarah Halter¹, JoAnn Cabray¹, Pottumarthi V. Prasad¹

Mouse models provide an excellent opportunity to study mammalian diseases such as diabetic nephropathy where a role for genetics is suspected. Renal hypoxia is a critical pathway leading to end stage renal failure. The objective of this work was to extend previous observations using BOLD MRI in type I diabetes model in rats to an inbred mouse model of type II diabetes. Intra-renal BOLD MRI measurements showed lower renal medullary and cortical oxygenation levels in Type II diabetic mice (db/db) compared to their healthy littermates (db/m). The level of hypoxia was higher at 15 compared to 10 weeks of age.