Gadobutrol at High Concentrations Compromises Cell Viability and Genome Integrity: A Call for Prudent Use in Clinical Imaging

Background: Gadobutrol is a paramagnetic and nonionic contrast agent developed as a gado-linium derivative. This agent is routinely used for diagnostic purposes. It is also preferred in resonance angiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MR) because it increases tissue contrast. The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of gadobutrol on NIH3T3 cell line. Materials and Methods: NIH3T3 cell line was grown under standard conditions (37°C, 5% CO₂). CCK-8 kit was used to determine the cytotoxic effect. Genotoxicity potential was deter-mined by Comet assay. Results: Gadobutrol had no significant effect on cell viability at low concentrations, but as the concentration increased (10-100 mM), cell viability decreased statistically significantly (p<0.0001). Conclusions: Gadobutrol showed marked cytotoxic and genotoxic effects in NIH3T3 cells at high concentrations.