School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
Guixiang Yang
School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
Yihao Guo
Department of Radiology, Hainan General Hospital (Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University), Haikou 570311, China
Kaixuan Zhao
School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
Shuyu Wu
Radiotherapy Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510095, China
Zhongbiao Xu
Radiotherapy Center, Guangdong General Hospital, Guangzhou 510080, China
Shan Zhou
State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Disease, Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
Chenggong Yan
Department of Medical Imaging Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
Erdmann Seeliger
Institute of Translational Physiology, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
Thoralf Niendorf
Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility (B.U.F.F.), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, 13125 Berlin, Germany
Yikai Xu
Department of Medical Imaging Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
Yanqiu Feng
School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
Exposure to aristolochic acid (AA) is of increased concern due to carcinogenic and nephrotoxic effects, and incidence of aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN) is increasing. This study characterizes renal alterations during the acute phase of AAN using parametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). An AAN and a control group of male Wistar rats received administration of aristolochic acid I (AAI) and polyethylene glycol (PEG), respectively, for six days. Both groups underwent MRI before and 2, 4 and 6 days after AAI or PEG administration. T2 relaxation times and apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) were determined for four renal layers. Serum creatinine levels (sCr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were measured. Tubular injury scores (TIS) were evaluated based on histologic findings. Increased T2 values were detected since day 2 in the AAN group, but decreased ADCs and increased sCr levels and BUN were not detected until day 4. Significant linear correlations were observed between T2 of the cortex and the outer stripe of outer medulla and TIS. Our results demonstrate that parametric MRI facilitates early detection of renal injury induced by AAI in a rat model. T2 mapping may be a valuable tool for assessing kidney injury during the acute phase of AAN.
