Effect of anesthesia on renal R2* measured by blood oxygen level‐dependent MRI

Blood oxygen level‐dependent (BOLD) MRI is increasingly being used to assess renal tissue oxygenation during disease based on the transverse relaxation rate (R2*). In preclinical small animal models, the requisite use of anesthesia during imaging may lead to functional changes which influence R2* and confound results. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of four common anesthetic compounds on renal R2* in healthy mice. Five female ICR mice were imaged with BOLD MRI approximately 25 min after induction with isoflurane (Iso; 1% or 1.5%, delivered in 100% O2), ketamine/xylazine (KX), sodium pentobarbital (PB) or 2,2,2‐tribromoethanol (TBE). A significant effect of anesthetic agent on R2* was observed in all tissue layers of the kidney, including the cortex, outer stripe of the outer medulla (OSOM), inner stripe of the outer medulla (ISOM) and inner medulla (IM). Pairwise significant differences in R2* between specific agents were found in the cortex, OSOM and ISOM, with the largest difference observed in the ISOM between 1.5% Iso (26.6 ± 1.7 s–1) and KX (66.0 ± 7.1 s–1). The difference between 1% Iso and KX in the ISOM was not abolished when KX was administered with supplemental 100% O2 or when 1% Iso was delivered in 21% O2, indicating that the fraction of inspired oxygen did not account for the observed differences. Our results indicate that the choice of anesthesia has a large influence on the observed R2* in mouse kidney, and anesthetic effects must be considered in the design and interpretation of renal BOLD MRI studies. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.