The dangers of dimethyl sulfoxide

Dimethyl sulfoxide

DMSO is dimethyl sulfoxide and has a wide range of uses. Used as a solvent for acetylene, aromatics, sulfur dioxide and other gases and as a spinning solvent for acrylic fibers. It is a very important aprotic polar solvent soluble in both water and organic solvents. It is highly permeable to the skin and helps the drug penetrate into the human body. It can also be used as an additive to pesticides. It’s also a very important chemical agent.

DMSO is also a osmotic protective agent, which can reduce the freezing point of cells, reduce the formation of ice crystals, reduce the damage of free radicals to cells, and change the permeability of biofilms to electrolytes, drugs, poisons and metabolites.

However, studies have shown that DMSO has serious toxic effects, interacts with protein hydrophobic groups, leads to protein denaturation, and has vascular toxicity and hepatorenal toxicity.

DMSO is a relatively toxic thing, when using to avoid its volatilization, to prepare 1%-5% ammonia water for backup, after the skin with a lot of water and dilute ammonia wash. The most common are nausea, vomiting, skin rashes, and garlic, onion, and oyster smells on the skin and in exhaled breath.

Inhalation: High volatile concentrations may cause headache, dizziness and sedation.

Skin: Can burn the skin and make the skin tingle, as seen in rashes and blisters. Dimethyl sulfoxide produces a thermal reaction if it comes into contact with hydrated skin. Avoid contact with dimethyl sulfoxide solution containing toxic raw materials or substances, because its toxicity is not known, and dimethyl sulfoxide may penetrate the skin, under certain conditions will substitute toxic substances into the skin.

Absorption: Absorption risk is very low.