Do radiographic contrast media (Iodixanol or Iomeprol) induce a perturbation of human arterial and/or venous endothial cells in vitro on extracellular matrix?

After intra-arterial administration of several radiographic contrast media (RCM) a disorder of the downstream microcirculation with regard to blood flow velocity in microvessels and to tissue oxygen partial pressure in the myocardium of the pig heart was described. Iodixanol did not induce such a microcirculatory disorder in the myocardium of the beating heart of pigs. Whether the morphological changes reported in venous endothelial cells after incubation in culture media supplemented with RCM in vitro coincide with a serious endothelial cell dysfunction is not known. In this study we wanted to get information on possible states of dysfunction or perturbation of venous and arterial ECs through the release of prostacyclin, which was shown to follow the perturbation of ECs. Functionally confluent venous endothelial cells on extracellular matrix secreted great amounts of prostacyclin in reaction to the RCMs indicating a clear perturbation of the ECs. This was not the case in arterial EC cultures. The prostacyclin release from arterial ECs exposed to Iodixanol was more than 10-fold higher than that from arterial ECs exposed to Iomeprol. This could be one of the important factors contributing to the undisturbed myocardial microcirculation after injection of Iodixanol despite a slight echinocyte formation.