title: Optical Coherence Tomography of the Aging Kidney.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aging kidney exhibits a progressive decline in renal function with characteristic histopathologic changes and is a risk factor for renal transplant. However, the degree to which the kidney exhibits this decline depends on several factors that vary from one individual to the next. Optical coherence tomography is an evolving noninvasive imaging technology that has recently been used to evaluate acute tubular necrosis of living-human donor kidneys before their transplant. With the increasing use of kidneys from older individuals, it is important to determine whether optical coherence tomography also can distinguish the histopathology associated with aging.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this investigation, we used Munich-Wistar rats to evaluate the ability of optical coherence tomography to detect histopathologic changes associated with aging. Optical coherence tomography observations were correlated with renal function and conventional light microscopic evaluation of these same kidneys.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With the onset of severe proteinuria at 10 to 12 months of age, optical coherence tomography revealed tubular necrosis/atrophy, interstitial fibrosis, tubular dilation, and glomerulosclerosis. With a further deterioration in kidney function at 16 to 18 months of age (as indicated by rising creatinine levels), optical coherence tomography revealed more extensive interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy, increased tubular dilation with cyst formation and more sclerotic glomeruli.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The foregoing observations suggest that optical coherence tomography can be used to detect the histopathology of progressive nephropathy associated with aging.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC 20007, USA.
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Andrews
authors.forename: Hsing-Wen
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hengchang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Reuben
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Falola
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D007668:Kidney / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011913:Rats, Inbred BB; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence