AN EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY ON THE NEUROTOLERABILITY OF GADOBENATE DIMEGLUMINE IN A RAT MODEL OF FOCAL BRAIN ISCHEMIA

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES. The neurologic safety of the new magnetic re sonance imaging contrast agent gadobenate dimeglumine has been assesse d in rats suffering from localized blood-brain barrier damage. METHODS . The adopted experimental model was the photochemically induced brain ischemia in the rat. Flash-evoked visual potentials were recorded sim ultaneously from the damaged area and from the corresponding contralat eral position in conscious rats before and after the administration of the contrast medium. RESULTS. The intravenous administration of 0.9 m mol/kg of gadobenate dimeglumine did not induce any significant change s in the visual responses recorded from the ischemic side compared wit h the intact side. Rats treated with saline or with the reference comp ounds gadopentetate dimeglumine (Magnevist) and gadoteridol (ProHance) gave comparable results. CONCLUSIONS. The results are in favor of the use of gadobenate dimeglumine in patients suffering from a localized damage to blood-brain barrier.