The cerebral effects of carbon dioxide during digital subtraction angiography in the aortic arch and its branches in rabbits.
OBJECTIVE
We studied the neurotoxicity of carbon dioxide as a contrast agent in the central nervous system by performing CO2 digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in the aortic arch and its branches in experimental animals.


METHODS
Twenty-five rabbits underwent intraarterial CO2 DSA while under general anesthesia, during which 50 angiograms were obtained after administration of 3 mL/kg CO2. MR imaging was performed before and after the angiographic procedure. The animals were killed 12 hours later and their brains examined macroscopically and microscopically.


RESULTS
Three animals died of a cause irrelevant to CO2. No animal had clinical symptoms of hemiplegia or stroke. Neither MR imaging nor macroscopic and microscopic examination of the brain revealed any ischemic infarct hemorrhage, thrombosis, or foci of necrosis.


CONCLUSIONS
The absence of neurologic symptoms, the lack of pathologic findings at MR imaging, and the negative pathologic findings in the brain encourage further research on CO2 neurotoxicity of the central nervous system and support its application in the imaging of intracranial vessels.
Dimakakos
P B
PB
Department of Vascular Surgery, Aretaieion Hospital, University of Athens, Greece.
Stefanopoulos
T
T
Doufas
A G
AG
Papasava
M
M
Gouliamos
A
A
Mourikis
D
D
Deligiorgi
H
H
D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D000818:Animals; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001027:Aortography; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000633:toxicity*; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000633:toxicity*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000187:drug effects; D011817:Rabbits
D003287:Contrast Media; D002245:Carbon Dioxide