Contrast Media Viscosity versus Osmolality in Kidney Injury: Lessons from Animal Studies

Figure 4

Exemplary computed tomographic (CT) scans to assess renal iodine retention and exemplary histological images (hematoxylin-eosin staining) to assess formation of vacuoles in proximal tubular cells, both taken 24 hours after injection (24 h p.i.) of either saline (a), marketed iopromide 300 mg I/mL solution (b), iodixanol 320 mg I/mL solution with mannitol added to elevate the solution’s osmolality (c), or marketed iodixanol 320 mg I/mL solution (d). CM were administered intravenously at a dose of 4 g I/kg of body mass. CT scans show predominantly cortical iodine retention 24 h p.i. for the marketed iodixanol solution, less retention following the iodixanol/mannitol solution, and virtually none following iopromide and saline. Formation of vacuoles (arrows) in proximal tubular cells was prominent 24 h p.i. for the marketed iodixanol solution, slightly less following the iodixanol/mannitol solution and sparse after iopromide and saline. Reprinted from [40].