Evaluation of Intrarenal Oxygenation in Iodinated Contrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury–Susceptible Rats by Blood Oxygen Level–Dependent Magnetic Resonance Imaging

ObjectivesThe objectives of this study were to evaluate differences in intrarenal oxygenation as assessed by blood oxygen level–dependent (BOLD) magnetic resonance imaging in contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CIAKI)–susceptible rats when using 4 contrast media with different physicochemical properties and to demonstrate the feasibility of acquiring urinary neutrophil gelatinase–associated lipocalin (NGAL) levels as a marker of CIAKI in this model. Materials and MethodsOur institutional animal care and use committee approved the study. Sixty-six Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into CIAKI-susceptible groups (received nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester [10 mg/kg] and cycloxygenase inhibitor indomethacin [10mg/kg]) and control groups (received saline instead). One of the 4 iodinated contrast agents (iothalamate, iohexol, ioxaglate, or iodixanol) was then administered (1600-mg organic iodine per kilogram of body weight). Multiple blood oxygen level–dependent magnetic resonance images were acquired on a Siemens 3.0-T scanner using a multiple gradient recalled echo sequence at baseline, after N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (or saline), indomethacin (or saline), and iodinated contrast agent (or placebo). R2* (R2* = 1/T2*) maps were generated inline on the scanner. A mixed-effects growth curve model with first-order autoregressive variance-covariance was used to analyze the temporal data. Urinary NGAL, a marker of kidney injury (unlike serum creatinine), was measured 4 hours after contrast injection in the 2 subgroups. ResultsDifferences in blood oxygen level–dependent magnetic resonance imaging results between the contrast media were observed in all 4 renal regions. However, the inner stripe of the outer medulla (ISOM) showed the most pronounced changes in the CIAKI-susceptible group and R2* increased significantly (P < 0.01) over time with all 4 contrast media. In the control groups, only iodixanol showed an increase in R2* (P < 0.05) over time. There was an agreement between increases in NGAL and R2* values in ISOM. ConclusionsIn rats susceptible to CIAKI, those receiving contrast media had significant increases in R2* in renal ISOM compared with those receiving placebo. The agreement between NGAL and R2* values in the ISOM suggests that the observed immediate increase in R2* after contrast injection may be the earliest biomarker of renal injury. Further studies are necessary to establish threshold values of R2* associated with acute kidney injury and address the specificity of R2* to renal oxygenation status.