Cardioactive Substances Leached from a Commercial Hemodialysis Set

Abstract

To the Editor: In recent studies (supported by NIH contract NO1-AM-4–2219) to evaluate the biocompatibility of materials used in hemodialysis, an isolated, perfused rabbit-heart preparation has been included as one of the test procedures. Previously, Meyler et al.¹ reported cardiotoxicity of leachables from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tubing upon the isolated rat heart when the tubing was included in the perfusion circuit; Mir et al.² have used the isolated rabbit heart to assess the relative toxicity of various methacrylate monomers. This was found to be a very sensitive biologic test for low concentrations of the toxicants.An Anderson eoronary-perfusion apparatus³ was . . .