P. Cipolla et al., PHARMACODYNAMIC EFFECTS OF IOMEPROL FOR INJECTION IN EXPERIMENTAL-ANIMALS, European journal of radiology, 18, 1994, pp. 190000032-190000042
Iomeprol for injection is a new nonionic triiodinated contrast medium
for diagnostic radiology, which combines low osmolality with low visco
sity. The effects of iomeprol for injection on the cardiovascular syst
em, blood parameters, renal function and the central nervous system we
re studied after intravascular administration to several animal specie
s of doses at least as high as the highest presumed clinical doses. Th
e following observations were made with respect to the central circula
tory system: moderate and short-lasting increases of left ventricular
end-diastolic pressure and cardiac output, no significant effects on h
eart rate either in vitro or in vivo, some episodes of arrhythmia and
ventricular fibrillations only at doses far higher than the highest pr
esumed clinical ones, no significant increases in diastolic and systol
ic coronary flow. The following observations were made with respect to
peripheral circulation: no significant changes on blood pressure, mod
erate and short-lasting increases in renal and pulmonary arterial flow
, together with a decrease in peripheral vascular resistance, no cross
ing of the blood-brain barrier in healthy animals. Cardiovascular and
haemodynamic changes were all significantly milder than those induced
by ionic contrast media (CM) and were similar to effects caused by som
e other nonionic contrast media. When injected into the femoral artery
of rats, iomeprol was shown to be less algogenic than iopamidol and i
ohexol. In comparison with the same reference CM, iomeprol affected to
a lesser extent the filterability of red blood cells in vitro and sho
wed a less marked effect on their deformability. When administered int
ravenously at very high dosages, iomeprol had no effect on the glomeru
lar filtration rate, but increased both renal blood flow and diuresis.
Proteinuria and enzymuria were also increased, albeit more transientl
y. The neurotolerance of iomeprol for injection after intravenous admi
nistration was higher than or at worst equal to that of iopamidol and
iohexol. Iomeprol is therefore a promising new contrast agent particul
arly suitable for intravascular use in humans.