title: Prenatal evaluation of kidney function in mice using dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.
abstract: Glomerular differentiation starts as soon as embryonic stage 12 in mice and suggests that kidneys may be functional at this stage. Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance microscopy, a noninvasive imaging technique, was used to assess renal function establishment in utero. Indeed, in adults (n = 3), an intravenous injection of gadolinium-DOTA induced in a first step a massive and rapid drop in kidney signal intensity followed, in a second step, by a drop in bladder signal intensity. The delay in signal changes between kidney and bladder reflected glomerular filtration. Pregnant mice underwent anatomical and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance microscopy on postcoital days 12-13 (n = 2), 13-14 (n = 1), 14-15 (n = 3), 15-16 (n = 2), 16-17 (n = 3), 17-18 (n = 3), and 18-19 (n = 1). Kidneys and bladder were unambiguously depicted prior to contrast agent injection on stage 15-16 embryos. Contrast agent injection allowed kidney, detection as early as stage 12-13 but not bladder. Kinetics of signal changes demonstrated that glomerular filtration is established at embryonic stage 15-16 in mice. Thus, anatomical and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance microscopy may be a powerful noninvasive method for in vivo prenatal developmental and functional studies.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U646 Ingénierie de la Vectorisation, Université d'Angers, 10 rue Boquel, 49100 Angers, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chapon
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Franconi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roux
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Le Jeune
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lemaire
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000196:embryology
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C050823:gadolinium 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N',N'',N'''-tetraacetate