Quantification of Kidney Inflammation Using Nanobubble-mediated Contrast Enhanced Ultrasound.

ABSTRACT: Kidney inflammation is a central driver of acute kidney injury (AKI) and its progression to chronic kidney disease (CKD). While several imaging and biomarker-based approaches are under development, clinically validated non-invasive methods to directly quantify renal inflammation remain limited. This study introduces a novel approach using contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) with Cy5-labeled nanobubbles (NBs) to address this critical knowledge gap. Using a murine ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) model, CEUS imaging enabled real-time visualization of inflammation-induced changes in kidney perfusion and vascular integrity. Parametric analyses of non-linear imaging revealed delayed time-to-peak (TTP) and increased area under the falling curve (AUfC) in IRI kidneys, suggesting impaired microva

SUBMITTER: Shirazi NR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12923311 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature