Serial Assessment of Renal Anatomy and Function in Mice with Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction Using Multi-Modal Imaging

C. Chad Quarles¹, Feng Weng¹, Mohammed Tantawy¹, Rosie Jiang², Keiko Takahashi², Chuan-Ming Hao², Todd Peterson¹, Raymond Harris², Takamune Takahashi²

MRI and ^99m Tc-MAG3 scintigraphy were used to serially assess the mouse kidney following unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). In UUO mice the renal pelvic space gradually expanded in obstructed kidneys as early as 1 day post ureteral ligation and the components of renal medulla, especially inner medulla and papilla, was remarkably decreased as the disease progressed. The ^99m Tc-MAG3 data revealed that renal perfusion is remarkably and rapidly reduced in UUO kidneys, whereas it is gradually increased in contra-lateral kidneys. In pre-clinical models of renal disease, these imaging techniques could be effective tools for elucidating pathological mechanisms of obstructive kidney disease.