Short-term effects of radiographic contrast media on monolayer cell cultures and hepatocytes

Short-term effects of nine different contrast media, saline, sucrose, and mannitol on monolayer cell cultures and isolated rat hepatocytes were studied. Conventional high osmolal ionic contrast media (Na-metrizoate, Na-iothalamate, meglumine/Na-diatrizoate, meglumine-calcium-metrizoate) and the new, low-osmolal, nonionic (metrizamide, iopamidol, iohexol) and ionic dimer (meglumine/Na-ioxaglate) were tested. Dilutions of different contrast media at the same final osmolality produced similar effects on cultured cells and on isolated hepatocytes as assessed by the leakage of cytoplasmic lactate-dehydrogenase. This short-term toxicity seemed to be a function of the osmolality and of the exposure time. The effect of saline, sucrose, and mannitol was equal to that of contrast media at the same osmolality.