Determination of lethal dose in a protozoa: screening of contrast media toxicity.

ABSTRACT

Suitability of a protozoan culture for determination of contrast media (CM) toxicity was investigated. A culture of Blepharisma americanum was exposed to varying concentrations of CM and the time elapsed until 50% cell mortality was determined. The cultures were standardized using solutions of Na iothalamate and/or Metrizamide. A standardized culture responded reproducibly between days 6 and 10 of the culture age. Comparison of concentrations of CM needed to achieve LD50 at 7 minutes ranked CM in order of decreasing toxicity as follows oral cholecystopaques, intravenous cholecystopaques, and urographic agents; ie ionic monomers, ionic dimers, monovalent dimers, nonionic monomers, nonionic dimers. Comparison of CM toxicity determined by protozoa LD50 at 7 minutes with i.v. LD50 in mice showed a good correlation, suggesting usefulness of the protozoan assay as a complementary or screening toxicologic method.