Cardiac function during left coronary arteriography in canines with ioxaglate, nonionic compounds, and diatrizoate.

The new contrast medium ioxaglate (P286) was compared with diatrizoate and the nonionic media metrizamide and C-29 regarding their effects on left ventricular pressure, the rate of rise in this pressure (dP/dt), stroke volume, peak aortic flow rate, and on the QT interval during left coronary arteriography in dogs. Ioxaglate and the nonionic compounds had significantly less effect on these parameters than diatrizoate. Contractility and QT time was least affected by the nonionic media, which have an osmolality similar to that of ioxaglate. This indicates that, in addition to osmolality, other properties of contrast solutions contribute to their toxic effects on the heart. Measuring contractility seems to be a more sensitive method in evaluating contrast media than measuring the performance of the heart as a pump.