Yun Hsuan Hsu
Pronouns:
Research Mentor(s): Jie Ren Gerald Har
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Biologic and Material Sciences and Prosthodontics / Dentistry
Program:
Authors: Yun Hsuan Hsu, Dylan Kuennen, Gerald Har, Lauren Surface
Session: Session 4: 1:40 pm – 2:30 pm
Poster: 33
Abstract
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) manifests when kidneys lose their function of filtering waste from blood. One major clinical impact is chronic kidney disease mineral and bone disorder (CKD-MBD), where patients with end-stage CKD present with elevated fracture risk and poor bone quality. Our research aims to investigate how CKD causes poor bone microarchitecture and strength using mouse models and µCT analysis. By understanding these mechanisms, therapies can be developed to restore bone function. To induce CKD, Black6 mice were given a diet of 0.2% adenine for 4 weeks prior to tissue and bone harvest. The physical changes of the trabecular and cortical bone were assessed by collecting 3D images of the tibia through µCT scanning. The images were analyzed in XQuartz, a software designed to run graphical applications on remote servers to measure variables such as cortical thickness, bone volume ratio (BV/TV), and bone mineral density (BMD). Preliminary results have found that there was a 30% decrease in cortical thickness and 10% decrease in bone volume ratio in CKD induced mice. The changes to serum and urine composition were also determined through various biochemical assays, identifying hallmarks of CKD progression, including high serum phosphate and FGF23 levels. Future research will aim to investigate the changes in bone microarchitecture induced by CKD as well as the alteration of mitochondrial metabolism in mice.
