X-ray contrast agent

Radiocontrast agents X-ray contrast agents Contrast media Contrast materials... 

Whereas imaging agents that can serve to detect molecular and cellular processes must in some way directly or indirectly participate in these processes or interact with components participating in the processes, the development of X-ray contrast agents led in the opposite direction Molecules displaying the least possible interaction with body constituents and processes were preferred because of advantages in tolerability [2]. 

X-ray Contrast Agents and Molecular Imaging. Figure 1 Basic chemical structure of water-soluble iodinated X-ray contrast agents. 

Monitoring of Molecnlar and Cellnlar Processes by X-ray Contrast Agents... 

Molecular and cellular processes were visualized by X-ray contrast agents long before the term molecular imaging became popular and even before the advent of early CT (Table 1). Because of the above-mentioned limitations in the sensitivity of contrast detection by X-ray radiography, the latter can only visualize high capacity transport mechanisms and the nonspecific uptake of particles by specialized cells. 

Admittedly, none of the X-ray contrast agents that used to be labeled as specific were developed to solve important diagnostic problems that are of interest today such as early tumor detection or diagnosis of nonobstructive inflammatory arterial or degenerative cerebral disease. 

Toxicity of accumulating X-ray contrast agents requires specific attention. 

Increasing spatial and to some extent also contrast resolution of X-ray equipment and advances in the understanding of disease processes are in favor of improved X-ray contrast agents which provide important additional information. 

Rode U, R Muller (1998) Transformation of the ionic X-ray contrast agent Diatrizoate and related triiodinated benzoates by Trametes versicolor. Appl Environ Microbiol 64 3114-3117. 

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