DMSO: Dimethyl sulfoxide

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is a sulfur-containing organic compound with the molecular formula C2H60S. It is a colorless and odorless transparent liquid at room temperature. High polarity, high boiling point, and good thermal stability due to the presence of a hydrophilic thionyl group and two hydrophobic methyl groups in the structure. It can be miscible with most organic solvents except petroleum ether; It can dissolve about 80% of compounds, and most water-soluble and fat soluble compounds can be dissolved by it, earning it the title of “universal solvent”.
Melting point: 18.4 ° C; Boiling point: 189 ° CDMSO is easy to mix with water (1mL DMSO+1mL H2O) to form a clear and colorless solution. Easy to absorb moisture, avoid exposure to humid environments. Also soluble in ethanol, acetone, ether, benzene, chloroform;

1. Laboratory application: as a cell cryopreservation agent.
   ·DMSO can quickly penetrate the cell membrane and enter the cell, lowering the freezing point and delaying the freezing process. At the same time, it increases the ion concentration inside the cell, reduces the formation of ice crystals, mitigates the damage of free radicals to cells, and thus reduces cell damage. It is currently widely used as a cell cryoprotectant.
   ·It is a commonly used cell cryopreservation solution in the laboratory, with a common configuration range of 1% -10%.
   ·Adding DMSO to the culture medium releases a large amount of heat. When freezing, the DMSO freezing solution should be prepared in advance and pre cooled to 4 ℃, at which point DMSO has the least toxicity to cells.
   DMSO is commonly used as a solvent and carrier for drugs.
   ·It can also alter the permeability of biofilms to electrolytes, drugs, toxins, and metabolites, and is commonly used as a solvent and carrier for drugs.
   ·When using DMSO to dissolve compounds in cell administration, the dosage of DMSO should be strictly controlled: different cells may have different levels of sensitivity to DMSO content, but it is now more acceptable to use DMSO to prepare compounds for cell administration. The final concentration of DMSO should be controlled within 0.1%, which is considered to have no interference with cell experiments. That is, in 1ml of culture medium, the volume of DMSO should not exceed 1 μ l.
   ·If the volume exceeds this ratio, we can reduce the amount of DMSO used by increasing the drug concentration and using a multi-step aqueous dilution method.
2. DMSO toxicity:
   ·DMSO can protect cells at low temperatures, but it is harmful to cells at room temperature. Research results have shown that when the concentration of DMSO in the culture medium is 10%, the cell growth inhibition rate is nearly 100%; At a concentration of 1%, the inhibition rate is 35%. Even at a concentration of 0.04%, DMSO has adverse effects on cell growth. That’s why DMSO needs to be removed by centrifugation after cell recovery.
3. DMSO antibacterial activity:
   ·DMSO itself is a good antibacterial agent. When the concentration of DMSO is 8%, it can inhibit the growth of 92% of Pseudomonas aeruginosa; when the concentration is 15%, it can inhibit the growth of 98% of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. 2% DMS0 can inhibit the growth of various bacteria such as Candida albicans and yeast.
   DMSO is commonly used as a control in experiments:
   In biological experiments, many lipophilic drugs that are insoluble in water are required. And DMSO is a co solvent that can assist drugs in better integrating into culture media and other solvents
   Therefore, when designing experiments, it is necessary to distinguish between the effects of DMSO dimethyl sulfoxide on cells;
   Or the impact of drugs on cells;
   The selected control group is only different from the drug and experimental group, so the same DMSO concentration as the experimental group is used as the control group.
4. Storage conditions: DMSO should be sealed (sealed with a sealing film) and stored in a cool, dry place away from light.