The effect of gadolinium-based contrast agents on rat testis.

Previous studies have reported that repeated administrations of linear gadolinium-based contrast agents lead to their accumulation in the brain and other tissues in individuals with normal renal functions. The purpose of this prospective animal study was to investigate the effect of multiple administrations of macrocyclic ionic (gadoteric acid) and linear nonionic (gadodiamide) gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) on rat testis tissue and to compare these molecules in terms of tissue damage. Thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were kept without drugs for 5 weeks after administration of 0.1 mmol mg-1 kg-1 (0.2 ml/kg) gadodiamide and gadoteric acid for 4 days over 5 weeks. Biochemical, histopathological and immunohistochemical changes in testis tissue were evaluated at the end of 10 weeks. When used in repeated clinical doses, gadolinium was observed to increase apoptosis in the Leydig cells of the rat testis, and to increase serum Ca+2 levels and reduce testosterone levels (p < .05). Although the difference was not statistically significant, a greater loss of spermatozoa and immature germinal cell accumulation were observed in the seminiferous tubule lumen in the GBCA groups compared with the control and saline groups (p > .05). Both linear and macrocyclic contrast agents have toxic effects on testis tissue, irrespective of the type of drug.

Effectiveness of percutaneous vertebroplasty in cases of vertebral metastases.

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PV) in patients with vertebral collapse due to metastases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PV procedures performed on 95 vertebras in 52 patients with primary malignancy were retrospectively evaluated. Vertebral metastases, primary malignancies of the patients, pain before and after PV on a visual analogue scale (VAS), amount of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) cement applied to the vertebral body during PV, PMMA cement leakage and vertebral approaches were evaluated. RESULTS: VAS scores of 43 patients (in total 79 vertebras) were evaluated. Median VAS scores of patients declined from 8 (4-10) before PV to 3 (0-7) within one day after the procedure, to 2 (0-9) one week after the procedure and eventually to 2 (0-9) 3months after the procedure (p<0.001). PMMA amount applied to the vertebral body during PV varied between 1.5-9mL (average±SD 4.91±1.61). There was no significant statistical correlation between PMMA amounts and VAS scores within one day after, 1week after and 3months after the PV procedure (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: PV is a simple, effective, reliable, easy to perform and minimally invasive procedure in patients with painful vertebral metastases.