DMSO Chemically Alters Cell Membranes to Slow Exocytosis and Increase the Fraction of Partial Transmitter Released
Journal article, 2017
Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is frequently used as a solvent in
biological studies and as a vehicle for drug therapy; but the
side effects of DMSO, especially on the cell environment, are
not well understood, and controls with DMSO are not neutral
at higher concentrations. Herein, electrochemical measurement
techniques are applied to show that DMSO increases exocytotic
neurotransmitter release, while leaving vesicular contents
unchanged. In addition, the kinetics of release from DMSOtreated
cells are faster than that of untreated ones. The results
suggest that DMSO has a significant influence on the chemistry
of the cell membrane, leading to alteration of exocytosis. A
speculative chemical mechanism of the effect on the fusion
pore during exocytosis is presented.
exocytosis
vesicles
electrochemistry
membranes
solvent effect