NUCLEAR-MAGNETIC-RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY - A NONINVASIVE PROBE OF KIDNEY METABOLISM AND FUNCTION

Major advances in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic metho ds and technology have led to the increased use of this technique to s tudy kidney metabolism and function. These studies include: (1) the id entification of organic osmolytes in the renal medulla and their role as potential markers of medullary development and damage; (2) changes in renal epithelial cell organic solute transport, such as autosomal d ominant polycystic kidney disease, and (3) the biochemical heterogenei ty of the nephron and identification of markers of site-specific renal damage in experimental animals and man. The present review summarises these data with the aim of demonstrating how NMR can be used as an in direct, and non-invasive probe of homeostatic mechanisms in vivo and i n vitro.