Magnetic resonance imaging assessment of a murine model of recessive polycystic kidney disease.
OBJECTIVE
The pathogenesis of polycystic kidney disease (PKD) has not been firmly established; however, our current knowledge of cystogenesis and human cystic disease has been greatly advanced by a variety of animal models of PKD. To study the onset and degree of cyst formation in PKD mouse models without requiring sacrifice of these animals, we have initiated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of the juvenile cystic kidney (jck) mouse model.


METHODS
The MRI experiments were performed by use of a Bruker 8.5 T system, on seven-week-old mice that were homozygous for the recessive jck mutation and that manifested PKD. Kidney volume was measured, using three-dimensional segmentation postprocessing techniques.


RESULTS
The MR images of the enlarged kidneys from affected mice had regions of high signal intensity, with a radial distribution, which reflected the dilated collecting ducts observed in the corresponding histologic slices. The volume of PKD-affected kidney was about 4 times greater than that of the normal kidney.


CONCLUSIONS
Magnetic resonance imaging has the ability to non-invasively assess cystic disease in mouse models of PKD. Of considerable importance is the opportunity to characterize this disease without sacrificing the animal. The three-dimensional MRI segmentation method provides accurate calculation of renal volume.
Sun
Yanping
Y
Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
Zhou
Jing
J
Stayner
Cherie
C
Munasinghe
Jeeva
J
Shen
Xiaohua
X
Beier
David R
DR
Albert
Mitchell S
MS
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006720:Homozygote; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D017044:Polycystic Kidney, Autosomal Recessive / Q000235:genetics*; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics