Experimental study on evaluating renal redox metabolism in renal ischemia-reperfusion injury using GluCEST imaging with 3.0 T MRI

Motivation: Noninvasive assessment of renal redox metabolism is necessary in renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). Goal(s): This study aims to evaluate the redox metabolism after renal IRI using GluCEST imaging. Approach: The magnetic resonance asymmetry (MTRasym) on GluCEST imaging of renal cortex and outer medulla in different subgroups of IRI was compared, and the relationship between MTRasym and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels was evaluated. Results: Significant differences were observed in the MTRasym of the cortex and outer medulla among different IRI subgroups. The MTRasym values for both the cortex and outer medulla showed a strong negative correlation with the mean fluorescence intensity of ROS. Impact: This study demonstrates that GluCEST is a noninvasive and reliable imaging technique that evaluates the renal redox metabolism status after IRI and aids in the early diagnosis and clinical management of renal IRI.