Pharmacological actions and toxicity of dimethyl sulphoxide and other compounds which protect smooth muscle during freezing and thawing

Abstract

Dimethyl sulphoxide and other non-electrolytes have been shown to protect partially, the smooth muscle of the guinea-pig uterus from damage during freezing to and thawing from –79°. The mechanism of this protection is probably physico-chemical in nature, for none of the compounds had any specific pharmacological action on smooth muscle. In the high concentrations needed for protection the compounds themselves caused some non-specific osmotic damage to the smooth muscle. All of the compounds examined had a low toxicity in mice.