Effect of ionic and non-ionic contrast media on red cell aggregation in vitro

The effect of solutions of the ionic contrast media diatrizoate, iocarmate, and metrizoate and the non-ionic metrizamide on red cell aggregation in vitro was examined. The aggregation was recorded by both microphotography and photometry in a counter-rotating rheoscope chamber. All the contrast media decreased the formation of red cell aggregates. This desaggregating ability increased with both increasing volume ratio (contrast media/blood) and with increasing osmolality of the contrast media. The desaggregating effect was also obtained with the contrast media solutions isotonic with blood. The iocarmate and diatrizoate solutions induced less reduction in red cell aggregation than the metrizoate and metrizamide solutions.