Assessing changes in kidney pH in acute kidney injury model using acidoCEST MRI

Kidneys are responsible for regulation of pH homeostasis, and cytotoxicity caused by cancer therapeutics can significantly alter renal function and homeostasis. Chemical exchange saturation transfer (acidoCEST) MRI has been proposed to measure tissue pH in-vivo using exogenous contrast agents. In this study, we used the acidoCEST technique to measure changes in kidney pH after acute kidney injury (AKI) in rodents. Typically, CT contrast agents such as Iopamidol (300 mg iodine/mL) are used as CEST contrast agent in acidoCEST MRI. However, the accuracy of acidoCEST using CT contrast agents relies on the delivery of the contrast agent to the target organ. To address this issue, we performed acidoCEST and FAIR-EPI based perfusion imaging to assess pH and blood flow changes in a mouse model of AKI. Results show that perfusion of kidneys affect pH measurements.