EFFECT OF RADIATION AND CONTRAST MEDIA ON CHROMOSOMES

Abstract

In recent years, the complexity of diagnostic cardiac catheterization and angiocardiography had increased greatly resulting in the performance of more angiocardiograms per study and the lengthening of exposure time. We have measured the chromosome aberrations in blood samples obtained from one child immediately before and for 3 years after 70 min. of radiation during cardiac catheterization and angiocardiography and the micronuclei in blood samples obtained immediately before and after similar studies from 5 children. An increase in chromosome damage was observed in all patients. The absorbed radiation dose estimated from the chromosome damage, on the order of 50 rads, was an order of magnitude larger than the estimate based on measurements of x-ray exposure rates. Subsequently in vitro studies were performed in peripheral blood cells to determine the separate effects of contrast agents and/or radiation on chromosome damage and production of micronuclei. The data clearly indicate that exposure of the cells to 5% solutions of Renografin or Hypaque alone for 30 minutes increases the yield of chromosome breaks and micronuclei to levels comparable to those found in our patients after angiocardiography. The ability of contrast media to break chromosomes in the absence of radiation indicates a hazard in their use to tissues outside the x-ray beams and for times much longer than the x-ray exposure.