Radiology, Vol 145, 379-382, Copyright © 1982 by Radiological Society of North America
Neurotoxicity of iohexol: a new nonionic contrast medium
RN Bryan, RS Centeno, N Hershkowitz, RJ Poelstra and MS Osato
The neurotoxicity of iohexol was evaluated and compared with the
neurotoxicity of sodium diatrizoate, meglumine iothalamate, and
metrizamide. Direct neurotoxicity was evaluated with in vitro rat
hippocampal slices, and angiographic neurotoxicity was studied in a cat's
spinal cord following thoracic aortography. In the experiments with the
hippocampal slices, the ionic agents, sodium diatrizoate and meglumine
iothalamate, and metrizamide caused early excitatory changes in electrical
activity and later inhibition, but iohexol caused only inhibition. In the
experiments with the cat's spinal cord, the ionic contrast materials
produced an increase in the ventral root reflexes, and iohexol and
metrizamide produced no significant effect. These results indicate that
iohexol is less neurotoxic than metrizamide and the ionic contrast
materials and may be a very useful angiographic and/or myelographic
contrast agent.
