The Effects of Contrast Media on the Actin Cytoskeleton

Medical images (X-ray, CT, MRI, etc.) of certain tissues show some degree of contrast loss in most imaging techniques. In such cases contrast materials are very good tools to enhance the density and intensity of a vessel, body part, organ, or tissue. Pharmaceutical companies develop safer contrast agents with less side-effects, so the older ionic, high osmolality compounds have been replaced by non-ionic, low osmolality contrast materials. Nowadays, a radiologist can choose from a wide range of contrast agents and use them not only in devices using ionising radiation, but also, for example, in MRI scans with certain paramagnetic properties.