Objectives: Contrast media (CM)-induced renal morphologic changes were studied in rats during acute edematous pancreatitis.
Methods: The histologically verified, mild pancreatitis was caused in Wistar rats (n = 54) by an injection of peanut oil into the pancreatic duct. After 24 hours, the animals received an intravenous (IV) injection of 1.0 or 3.0 g iodine (I)/kg of high-osmolality diatrizoate, low-osmolality iopromide or iohexol, or 0.2 or 0.6 g/kg of high-osmolality magnetic resonance (MR) CM, gadolinium-DTPA (Gd-DTPA). The controls received physiologic saline. The kidneys were fixed by perfusion after 2 hours, and changes in renal morphology were analyzed semiquantitatively by two independent observers blinded to the treatment.
Results: The smaller dose of iohexol and the larger dose of all other CM induced a statistically significant (P less than .05) cytoplasmic vacuolization in the proximal convoluted tubule cells. The changes were most prominent after iohexol (P less than .001). When compared with the authors' earlier findings on healthy rats, the CM-induced renal structural injury was more severe.
Conclusions: Pancreatitis potentiates the renal microstructural changes associated with CM; although the animals' fluid and electrolyte status was not specifically assessed, the enhanced abnormalities may be related to the hypovolemia associated with pancreatitis.