Experimental urography in dogs: diagnostic quality and pharmacokinetic behavior of iotrolan in comparison to nonionic and ionic, monomeric contrast media.

A dose of 0.3 g I/kg iotrolan yields much better opacification of the renal parenchyma in dogs (n = 6, intraindividual comparison) than sodium diatrizoate or iopromide, and imaging of the urinary tract is practically equally as good. The plasma iodine levels of all three agents 2 minutes after the bolus injections are 3 mg/ml and the half-lives in the blood are 8 to 10 minutes. The injection of iotrolan causes the hematocrit value to drop by maximum 3.8% 10 minutes after the injection, and corresponding figure after iopromide is 10.8% and that for sodium diatrizoate at 4 minutes is 18.9%. In a further study in dogs (n = 4, intraindividual comparison; dose 0.6 g I/kg) it was found that in the period 10 to 240 minutes after a bolus injection of iotrolan or iopamidol the iodine concentration in the urine was 1.5 to 2 times higher after iotrolan than after iopamidol. Iopamidol causes much higher urinary flow than iotrolan, especially in the first 20 minutes after injection. The properties of iotrolan described here appear to indicate that this novel nonionic, dimeric contrast medium has certain advantages over the monomeric, ionic and nonionic agents for urographic indications.