Abstract #1556

Quantitative Assessment of Kidney and Liver Disease in a Rat Model of Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease (ARPKD)

Ying Gao¹,², Yong Chen¹, Bernadette O. Erokwu¹, Lan Lu¹, Katherine MacRae Dell³, Chris A. Flask¹,²

¹Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States; ²Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States; ³Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States

Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease (ARPKD) is a multiorgan pediatric disease that manifests as progressively increasing renal cysts as well as liver biliary dilatation and congenital hepatic fibrosis. Unfortunately, there are no tools available to effectively monitor ARPKD kidney and liver disease progression which directly limits the development of therapeutic trials. We are currently developing quantitative MRI assessments of ARPKD kidney and liver disease using the PCK rat model that exhibits both kidney and liver diseases associated with ARPKD. In this study we have developed an improved T2 relaxation acquisition to reliably distinguish renal and hepatic pathology from healthy tissue.