Summary
The growth of bovine aortic smooth muscle and endothelial cells was studied after exposure to dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or its major metabolite, dimethyl sulfone (DMSO2). Both compounds caused a dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth as determined by [3H]thymidine incorporation and by counting the number of cells with time of exposure in culture. The IC50 of DMSO (concentration which produces 50% inhibition of growth) was 1% for smooth muscle cells and 2.9% for endothelial cells. Similarly, the IC50 of DMSO2 was also 1% for smooth muscle cells, but was 1.8% for endothelial cells. After a 4-d exposure to either compound, the growth inhibition of smooth muscle cells was completely reversible at 1%, partially reversible at 2 to 3% and completely irreversible at 4%. By comparison, inhibition of endothelial cell growth was completely reversible up to 4% of either compound. It is concluded that the growth of smooth muscle cells was similarly inhibited by DMSO, and DMSO2, but that smooth muscle cells were more susceptible than endothelial cells to the growth inhibitory effects of these compounds. In addition, DMSO2 was a more potent inhibitor of cell growth than DMSO and its growth inhibition was less reversible than that produced by DMSO.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alam, S. S.; Layman, D. L. Dimethyl sulfoxide as a cholesterol-lowering agent in cultured fibroblasts exposed to low density lipoproteins. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 710:306–313; 1982.
Berliner, D. L.; Ruhmann, A. G. The influence of dimethyl sulfoxide on fibroblastic proliferation. Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 141:159–164; 1967.
Bowman, P. D.; Meek, R. I.; Daniel, C. W. Aging of human fibroblasts in vitro. I. Correlations between DNA synthetic ability and cell size. Exp. Cell Res. 93: 184–190; 1975.
Corfield, V. A.; Hay, R. J. Effects of cystine or gluatamine restriction on human diploid fibroblasts in culture. In Vitro 14:787–794; 1978.
DeBruijne, A. W.; van Stevenick, J. The influence of dimethyl sulfoxide on the red cell membrane. Biochem. Pharmacol. 23:3247–3258; 1974.
Engel, M. F. Dimethyl sulfoxide in the treatment of scleroderma. South. Med. J. 65:71–73; 1972.
Green, S. B.; Grove, G. L.; Cristofalo, V. J. Cell size in aging monolayer cultures. In Vitro 13:297–300; 1977.
Hagemann, R. F.; Evans, T. C. Inhibition of DNA synthesis in sarcoma-180 tumor cells in vitro by dimethyl sulfoxide. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 128:648–650; 1968.
Harrel, L.; Lacour, F.; Friend, C., et al. Early inhibition of phospholipid synthesis in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) treated Friend erythroleukic (FL) cells. J. Cell Physiol. 101:25–32; 1979.
Hucker, H. B.; Miller, J. K.; Hochberg, A., et al. Studies on the absorption, excretion and metabolism of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in man. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 155:309–317; 1967.
Jacob, S. W.; Rosenbaum, E. R.; Wood, D. C. Dimethyl sulfoxide, basic concepts, vol. 1. New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc.; 1971.
Jaffe, E. A.; Nachman, R. L.; Becker, C. G., et al. Culture of human cells derived from umbilical cord veins. J. Clin. Invest. 52:2745–2756; 1973.
Kedar, I.; Sohar, E. Dimethyl sulfoxides in experimental atherosclerosis of the rabbit. Isr. J. Med. Sci. 17:289–291; 1981.
Layman, D. L.; Titus, J. L. Synthesis of type I collagen by human smooth muscle cells in vitro. Lab. Invest. 33:103–107; 1975.
Layman, D. L.; Alam, S. S.; Newcomb, K. C. Supression of atherosclerosis in cholesterolemic rabbits by demethyl sulfoxide. Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 411:336–339; 1983.
Layman, D. L.; Jacob, S. W. The absorption, metabolism and excretion of dimethyl sulfoxide by rhesus monkeys. Life. Sci. 37:2431–2437; 1985.
Lyman, G. N.; Preisler, H. D.; Paphadjpoulos, D., Membrane action of DMSO and other chemical inducers of Friend leukemic cell differentiation. Nature 262:360–363; 1976.
Mitsui, Y.; Schneider, E. L. Relationship between cell replication and volume in senescent human diploids fibroblasts. Mech. Ageing Dev. 5:45–56; 1976.
Rao, Ch. W. Differential effects of detergents and dimethyl sulfoxide on membrane prostaglandin E1 and F2a receptors. Life Sci. 20:2013–2022; 1977.
Rosen, E. M.; Mueller, S. N.; Noveral, J. P., et al. Proliferative characteristics of clonal endothelial cell strains. J. Cell Physiol. 107:123–137; 1981.
Ross, R.; Glomset, J. A. Atherosclerosis and the arterial smooth muscle cell. Science 180:1332–1337; 1973.
Stenchever, M. A.; Hopkins, A. L.; Sipes, J. Dimethyl sulfoxide and related compounds. Some effects of human fibroblasts in vitro. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 126:270–273; 1967.
Waller, F. T.; Jacob, S. W.; Camp, P. E., et al. Reduction of intracranial pressure with dimethyl sulfoxide. Neurosurgery 5:383–384; 1979.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Layman, D.L. Growth inhibitory effects of dimethyl sulfoxide and dimethyl sulfone on vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells in vitro. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol 23, 422–428 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02623858
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02623858