Mapping the arterial vascular network in an intact human kidney using hierarchical phase-contrast tomography

npj Imaging, vol. 3, pp. 39

Abstract

The architecture of kidney vasculature is essential the organ's specialised functions, yet is challenging to structurally map in an intact human organ. Here, we combined hierarchical phase-contrast tomography (HiP-CT) with topology network analysis to enable quantitative assessment of the intact human kidney vasculature, from the renal artery to interlobular arteries. Comparison with kidney vascular maps described for rodents revealed similar topologies to human, but human kidney vasculature possessed a significantly sharper decrease in radius from hilum to cortex, deviating from theoretically optimal flow resistance for smaller vessels. Structural differences in kidney hilar, medullary and cortical vasculature reflected unique functional adaptations of each zone. This work represents the first time the arterial vasculature of an intact human kidney has been mapped beyond segmental arteries, potentiating novel computational models of kidney vascular flow in humans. Our analyses have implications for understanding how blood vessel structure collectively scales to facilitate specialised functions in human organs.

Authors 14

1. Shahrokh Rahmani

   University College London · Imperial College London

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK

   National Heart & Lung Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom

2. Daniyal J. Jafree

   Wellcome Sanger Institute · University College London

   Affiliation as printed

   Developmental Biology and Cancer Research & Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK

   UCL Centre of Kidney and Bladder Health, UCL, London, UK

   Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK

3. Peter David Lee

   University College London

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK

4. Paul Tafforeau

   European Synchrotron Radiation Facility

   Affiliation as printed

   European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, France

5. Joseph Brunet

   European Synchrotron Radiation Facility · University College London

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK

   European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, France

6. Sonal Nandanwar

   University College London

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK

7. Yang Zhou

   University College London

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK

8. Joseph Jacob

   University College London

   Affiliation as printed

   Lungs for Living Research Centre, UCL, London, UK

   Satsuma Lab, Centre for Medical Image Computing, UCL, London, UK

9. Alexandre Bellier

   Université Grenoble Alpes

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Anatomy (LADAF), Grenoble Alpes University, Grenoble, France

10. Maximilian Ackermann Aachen Institute of Pathology

    Witten/Herdecke University · University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz · Helios Universitätsklinikum Wuppertal · RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute of Anatomy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany

    Institute of Pathology and Department of Molecular Pathology, Helios University Clinic Wuppertal, University of Witten-Herdecke, Wuppertal, Germany

    Institute of Pathology, RWTH Aachen Medical University, Aachen, Germany

11. Danny David Jonigk Aachen Institute of Pathology

    German Center for Lung Research · RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Biomedical Research in Endstage and Obstructive Lung Disease Hannover (BREATH), Hannover, Germany

    Institute of Pathology, RWTH Aachen Medical University, Aachen, Germany

12. Rebecca J. Shipley

    University College London

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK

13. David Andrew Long

    University College London

    Affiliation as printed

    Developmental Biology and Cancer Research & Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK

    UCL Centre of Kidney and Bladder Health, UCL, London, UK

14. Claire Walsh corresponding

    University College London

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK. c.walsh.11@ucl.ac.uk

    Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK