Hyperpolarized 13C urea relaxation mechanism reveals renal changes in diabetic nephropathy

Abstract

Purpose Our aim was to assess a novel 13C radial fast spin echo golden ratio single shot method for interrogating early renal changes in the diabetic kidney, using hyperpolarized (HP) [13C,15N2]urea as a T2 relaxation based contrast bio-probe. Methods A novel HP 13C MR contrast experiment was conducted in a group of streptozotocin type-1 diabetic rat model and age matched controls. Results A significantly different relaxation time (P = 0.004) was found in the diabetic kidney (0.49 ± 0.03 s) compared with the controls (0.64 ± 0.02 s) and secondly, a strong correlation between the blood oxygen saturation level and the relaxation times were observed in the healthy controls. Conclusion HP [13C,15N2]urea apparent T2 mapping may be a useful for interrogating local renal pO2 status and renal tissue alterations. Magn Reson Med, 2015.