Sensing ultrasound localization microscopy for the visualization of glomeruli in living rats and humans

Background Estimation of glomerular function is necessary to diagnose kidney diseases. However, the study of glomeruli in the clinic is currently done indirectly through urine and blood tests. A recent imaging technique called Ultrasound Localization Microscopy (ULM) has appeared. It is based on the ability to record continuous movements of individual microbubbles in the bloodstream. Although ULM improved the resolution of vascular imaging up to tenfold, the imaging of the smallest vessels had yet to be reported.Methods We acquired ultrasound sequences from living humans and rats and then applied filters to divide the data set into slow-moving and fast-moving microbubbles. We performed a double tracking to highlight and characterize populations of microbubbles with singular behaviors. We decided to call this technique sensing ULM (sULM). We used post-mortem micro-CT for side-by-side confirmation in rats. Findings In this study, we report the observation of microbubbles flowing in the glomeruli in living humans and rats. We present a set of analysis tools to extract quantitative information from individual microbubbles, such as rema-nence time or normalized distance. Interpretation As glomeruli play a key role in kidney function, it would be possible that their observation yields a deeper understanding of the kidney. It could also be a tool to diagnose kidney diseases in patients. More generally, it will bring imaging capabilities closer to the functional units of organs, which is a key to understand most diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, or kidney failures.2023;91: Published https://doi.org/10. 1016/j.ebiom.2023. 104578

Automated summary

We observed the flow of microbubbles in the glomeruli of living humans and rats using a imaging technique called Ultrasound Localization Microscopy (ULM). This technique allows for the extraction of quantitative information from individual microbubbles, which could aid in understanding kidney function and diagnosing kidney diseases.