Induction of Hypothermia by Dimethyl Sulfoxide in Rats Exposed to Gold: Tissue and Enzyme Changes.

Abstract

Summary Topical and intraperitoneal treatment of rats with DMSO produced a 1 to 2°C drop in body temperature in 5 hours at 23°C; however, those treated topically showed an early transient rise of as much as 0.7°C. No serum enzyme, urea nitrogen, or sugar changes were produced by DMSO at 23°C. The only serum enzyme changes noted during a 5-hour exposure to 1.7°C was a fall in SAkP levels, but 19 hours later a rise in serum transaminases became evident. DMSO given intraperitoneally prior to cold exposure caused a marked decrease in body temperature and a marked increase within 5 hours in all serum enzymes studied, including SGOT, SGPT, SAld, SLDH, and SMDH. DMSO did not influence SAkP values. Also, the DMSO-treated rats exposed to cold showed intensification of all 5 SLDH iso-enzyme bands and the isoenzyme band of SMDH associated with mitochondria and an increased elevation in SUN, serum glucose and hematocrit. At 5 hours, all rats exposed to cold showed marked depletion of hepatic glycogen, but repletion was delayed in the DMSO-treated group. Nineteen hours after exposure to cold, only depletion of liver glyco-gen and fatty changes in the liver, heart, or muscle persisted. Topicaly DMSO before exposure to cold did not alter the serum enzyme values or tissue changes produced by cold exposure alone. These findings show that intraperitoneal injection of DMSO in rats exposed to cold induces marked hyper-glycemia, a severe hypothermia accompanied by a marked rise in serum enzyme values and glycogen depletion, and an increased incidence of fatty changes in the liver and muscle.