Dextran as a radioactive microsphere suspending agent: severe hypotensive effect in rat.

The effects of different commercially available radioactive microsphere suspending solutions were studied on the cardiovascular hemodynamics of male, Sprague-Dawley rats. Single left ventricular injections of carbonized radioactive microspheres (15 +/- 5 micron diam) totaling 850,000 spheres, suspended in 10% dextran (mol wt, 73,000) solution with Tween, caused reductions in arterial pressure (control, 101; postinjection, 74 mmHg; P less than 0.001), with no change in heart rate. Identical injections made with isotonic saline solution plus Tween had no effect on either heart rate or arterial pressure. Independent studies were conducted to examine the effects of 1-ml injections of four suspending solutions without microspheres on the cardiovascular hemodynamics of rats. Isotonic saline had no hemodynamic effect, and isotonic saline plus Tween decreased only heart rate. Ten percent dextran soluton with Tween decreased arterial pressure, heart rate, peak left ventricular systolic pressure, and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure. Similar changes occurred when dextran solution without Tween was administered. These data demonstrate that 10% dextran solution used as a microsphere suspending agent induces a severe hypotensive response in rats. Furthermore, injections of up to 850,000 microspheres in isotonic saline solution do not alter arterial pressure in the rat.