Use of tissue culture to examine neurotoxicity of contrast media.

The effect of small concentrations of diatrizoate, ioglycamate, and iopanoate salts on cultured sympathetic ganglia was studied. Biliary contrast media in clinical blood concentrations caused severe degeneration of cultured neurons, but similar concentrations of diatrizoate caused no effect. This technique may be used to measure the direct neurotoxicity or general cytotoxicity of contrast media.