Prenatal evaluation of kidney function in mice using dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.
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.
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INSERM U646 Ingénierie de la Vectorisation, Université d'Angers, 10 rue Boquel, 49100 Angers, France.
Franconi
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Roux
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Le Jeune
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Lemaire
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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
D003287:Contrast Media; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C050823:gadolinium 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N',N'',N'''-tetraacetate