SIMILAR CYTOGENETIC EFFECTS OF SODIUM MEGLUMINE-DIATRIZOATE AND SODIUM MEGLUMINE IOXITHALAMATE IN LYMPHOCYTES OF PATIENTS UNDERGOING BRAIN CT SCAN

Cytogenetic effects of two ionic contrast media (CM), Urografin 76% a sodium-meglumine diatrizoate, and Telebrix 38, a sodium-meglumine ioxy thalamate, were tested on lymphocytes of patients undergoing brain CT Scan. Both compounds have approximately similar iodine concentrations. Chromosomal aberrations were scored in peripheral lymphocytes obtaine d from 15 patients undergoing brain CT with either urografin 76% or te lebrix 38 before and after examination. Results showed no difference i n aberration frequency for patients who underwent brain CT without con trast materials compared to controls. However, injection of CM resulte d in a high frequency of chromosomal aberrations which significantly d iffered from controls (P < 0.05). The effect of urografin 76% appeared to be similar to telebrix 38. Therefore, both CM exhibited clastogeni c effects on peripheral lymphocytes in vivo. An increase in chromosoma l aberrations due to CM used in this study were similar to that report ed for other ionic and non-ionic compounds. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.