Acute renal failure in rats. Interaction between contrast media and temporary renal arterial occlusion.

It was demonstrated in rats that renal injury which follows transient renal hypoxia is potentiated by the contrast media metrizoate, ioxaglate, iopamidol and iohexol. Intravenous injection of 1 g I/kg of all four media alone to 82 rats caused no significant increase in serum urea 1, 3 and 7 days later. The percentage increase of serum urea is given in median values and interquartile range (in parentheses). Bilateral renal arterial occlusion alone for 40 minutes in 42 rats increased serum urea one day later by 40 per cent (20-130). Intravenous injection of the media followed in one hour by bilateral renal arterial occlusion for 40 minutes in 104 rats caused serum urea to increase one day later by 130 per cent (70-350) after metrizoate, by 220 per cent (50-380) after ioxaglate, by 290 per cent (60-420) after iopamidol and by 160 per cent (50-330) after iohexol. There were no significant differences between the potentiating effects of the various media on ischemic renal failure.