Ioxaglic acid

Ioxaglic acid is an iodine-containing, low osmolality contrast agent. Ioxaglate is a molecule that consists of six iodine atoms and achieves water solubility by ionization; thus, it is a 3.0 ratio ionic agent.

By far the most successful and widely used contrast agents in use today are the iodinated contrast media, which were introduced into clinical practice in the 1950s. Approximately 75 million doses of iodinated contrast agents are administered worldwide each year. The iodinated contrast agents fall into 4 groups. Each group has unique chemical, physical, and biologic properties. These various contrast agents are required to meet the demands of a broad variety of imaging modalities.

All agents share a similar function group—a tri-iodinated benzene ring. Iodine plays an imperative role in the attenuation of x-ray signal. The atomic radius of a covalently bonded iodine atom is about 133 picometers, falling within the same range of the wavelengths of x-rays: 10 to 10,000 picometers. Therefore, x-rays are easily attenuated by the iodine atoms. In addition, iodine atoms covalently bonded to a benzene ring have 2 main advantages: (1) 3 large atoms located in such close proximity increase the effective molecular size, attenuating longer-wavelength x-rays, and (2) covalent bonding to a stable organic functional group (for example, benzene) decrease the risk of toxic adverse effects from free iodide molecules.

Ionization is an important characteristic to note in contrast media preparations. Compounds are classified as either ionic or nonionic. The ionic compounds dissociate in aqueous solution and therefore have a higher osmolality. The anion is the radiopaque portion of the molecule, however, both the anion and cation are osmotically active. Compared with nonionic media such as ioxaglic acid, ionic contrast media have more adverse hemodynamic effects, especially in patients with heart disease. The nonionic media are water soluble but do not dissociate in solution. Nonionic agents possess lower osmolality because there are fewer particles in solution. The nonionic contrast agents are more hydrophilic than ionic agents, resulting in lower osmolality, reduced binding to plasma proteins, decreased tissue binding, and a decreased tendency to cross cell membranes.

The low-osmolality of ioxaglic acid reduces the risk of adverse events. The occurrence of adverse reactions is more common after the use of high-osmolarity agents: about 15% with a high-osmolarity agent versus 3% with a low-osmolarity agent.

The use of high-osmolarity agents has decreased significantly in recent years. Most adverse effects and adverse reactions to this group of drugs are multifactorial and are likely due to a combination of direct cellular toxicity, the ionic state (for example, ionic vs nonionic), or the osmolarity of the injected contrast drug.