In vitro cytocompatibility of radio-opacifiers used in ureteral endoprosthesis

• Published in: Biomaterials 1999-03, Vol.20 (6), p.523-527
• Main Authors: Pariente, J.L., Bordenave, L., Bareille, R., Ohayon-Courtes, C., Baquey, Ch, Le Guillou, M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Animal cell culture; Barium; Barium - toxicity; Biocompatibility; Biocompatibility evaluation; Biocompatible Materials - toxicity; Biological and medical sciences; Bismuth; Bismuth - toxicity; Catheters; Cell Line; Cell Survival - drug effects; Cells, Cultured; Diseases of the urinary system; Humans; Medical sciences; Metabolism; Opacifiers; Radio-opacifier; Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects); Stents; Tantalum compounds; Toxicity; Tungsten; Tungsten - toxicity; Ureteral endoprostheses; Ureteral Obstruction - therapy; Urinary Catheterization - instrumentation; Urothelial cell culture; Urothelium - cytology; Urothelium - drug effects; Urothelium - pathology; X-Rays
• ISSN: 0142-9612; 1878-5905
• DOI: 10.1016/S0142-9612(98)00198-7

Ureteral endoprostheses are urinary catheters made of polymeric biomaterials made radio-opaque through the addition of X-ray absorbing additives such as barium, bismuth, tantale or tungsten. The aim of this work was to study the in vitro toxicity of solutions of these radio-opacifiers using two cell culture models. Primary-cultures of human urothelial cells (HUC) arising from normal adult urinary tract and permanent urothelial cell line were used. Solutions at different dilutions were placed into the wells containing monolayers of confluent cells. After 24 h incubation period, the solutions were removed and cell viability and cell metabolic activity tests were performed (Neutral Red assay and MTT assay). At a concentration lower than 1 mg l -1 the different radio-opacifiers used showed no toxicity. From 1 to 3 mg l -1 one can note a significant dose-dependent decrease of cell metabolic activity of solely HUC for barium chloride. At 3 mg l -1 one can note a significant deleterious effect on HUC metabolic activity, with bismuth and tantale. For tungsten, there is no deleterious effect, but on the contrary a significant increase in HUC metabolic activity at a 0.5 mg l -1 concentration. None of the solutions did provoke alterations in HUC viability for concentrations less than 3 mg l -1. Interestingly, for permanent cell line one can note a solely significant decrease of cell viability at 3 mg l -1 for tantale. All the other tested salts on permanent cell line were not significantly different from controls for cell viability as well as cell metabolic activity. HUC culture model may be of relevance for the screening of radio-opacifiers intended for ureteral endoprostheses.