Measurement of renal perfusion using ASL-MRI and renal oxygenation using BOLD-MRI in dogs: a pilot study

Abstract

ASL- and BOLD-MRI have shown great potential in humans and rodents. To date, however, these techniques have not been used to image the canine kidney. Therefore, renal blood flow (RBF) and relaxation rate (R2*) were assessed using ASL and BOLD sequences on a beagle at 3T to examine the feasibility of both techniques in dogs. Mean RBF was 263.3 ± 39.0 and 277.4 ± 83.3 ml/100g/min in the right and left kidney, respectively. Mean R2* in the right kidney was 22.6 (range 14.8 - 36.8) s-1. This pilot-study demonstrates the feasibility of ASL- and BOLD-MRI for renal assessment in dogs.