Aortic and pulmonary arterial pressure after injection of contrast media into the right atrium of the rabbit. Comparison between metrizoate, ioxaglate and iohexol.

Effects in cardioangiography from injections into the right atrium of rabbits of two new contrast media of low osmolality, one non-ionic (iohexol) and one ionic dimeric (ioxaglate), were recorded and compared with a currently used ionic contrast medium (metrizoate) of high osmolality. Iohexol and ioxaglate produced significantly smaller increase in pulmonary arterial pressure than metrizoate. Also in aortic pressure iohexol and ioxaglate induced smaller changes (compared with the injection of the same volume of saline) than metrizoate.