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Respiratory Toxicity of Dimethyl Sulfoxide

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Respirology

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((NR,volume 885))

Abstract

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is one of the most commonly used solvents for hydrophobic substances in biological experiments. In addition, the compound exhibits a plethora of bioactivities, which makes it of potential pharmacological use of its own. The influence on respiration, and thus on arterial blood oxygenation, of DMSO is unclear, contentious, and an area of limited study. Thus, in the present investigation we set out to determine the influence on lung ventilation of cumulated doses of DMSO in the amount of 0.5, 1.5, 3.5, 7.5, and 15.5 g/kg; each dose given intraperitoneally at 1 h interval in conscious mice. Ventilation and its responses to 7 % hypoxia (N2 balanced) were recorded in a whole body plethsymograph. We demonstrate a dose-dependent inhibitory effect of DMSO on lung ventilation and its hypoxic responsiveness, driven mostly by changes in the tidal component. The maximum safe dose of DMSO devoid of meaningful consequences for respiratory function was 3.5 g/kg. The dose of 7.5 g/kg of DMSO significantly dampened respiration, with yet well preserved hyperventilatory response to hypoxia. The highest dose of 15.5 g/kg severely impaired ventilation and its responses. The study delineates the safety profile of DMSO regarding the respiratory function which is essential for maintaining proper tissue oxygenation. Caution should be exercised concerning dose concentration of DMSO.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by JSPS KAKENHI grants 25540130, 26460311, 26670676, 15K00417, 15K12611, the Health and Labor Sciences Research Grants of Japan, and the JSPS Japan-Poland Researcher Exchange Program Grant. M. Pokorski was supported by JSPS in Tokyo.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest in relation to this article. The study had no commercial funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization Murayama Medical Center, 2-37-1 Gakuen, Musashimurayama, 208-0011, Tokyo, Japan

    Kotaro Takeda, Mieczyslaw Pokorski & Yasumasa Okada

  2. Fujita Memorial Nanakuri Institute, Fujita Health University, 423 Oodori-cho, Tsu, 514-1296, Mie, Japan

    Kotaro Takeda

  3. Public Higher Medical Professional School in Opole, 68 Katowicka St., 45-060, Opole, Poland

    Mieczyslaw Pokorski

  4. Institute of Socio-Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokushima, 1-1 Minamijosanjima-cho, 770-8502, Tokushima, Japan

    Yutaka Sato

  5. Department of Respiratory Medicine, National Hospital Organization Tokyo Medical Center, 2-5-1 Higashigaoka, Meguro, 152-8902, Tokyo, Japan

    Yoshitaka Oyamada

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  1. Kotaro Takeda
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  2. Mieczyslaw Pokorski
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  3. Yutaka Sato
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  4. Yoshitaka Oyamada
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  5. Yasumasa Okada
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Correspondence to Mieczyslaw Pokorski .

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  1. Institute of Nursing, Public Higher Medical Professional Schoo, Opole, Poland

    Mieczyslaw Pokorski

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Takeda, K., Pokorski, M., Sato, Y., Oyamada, Y., Okada, Y. (2015). Respiratory Toxicity of Dimethyl Sulfoxide. In: Pokorski, M. (eds) Respirology. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology(), vol 885. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/5584_2015_187

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