Dimethyl sulfoxide, a solvent that dissolves both water-loving and fat-loving substances and passes through skin easily. In research it is the standard way to make a concentrated stock of a compound that will not dissolve in water, which is then diluted into culture medium. In topical products it appears as a penetration enhancer.

Why it matters here

A great many in vitro results on peptide records came out of a DMSO stock, and DMSO is itself active on cells at around a per cent or below. The vehicle is therefore part of how an in_vitro rung should be read, and a solvent used to make a laboratory stock says nothing about a route for a person.

Also called

• dmso
• dimethyl sulfoxide

Compounds carrying this term

None on file yet. This term is in the controlled vocabulary but no compound record currently uses it — which is a statement about our coverage, not about the term.

See also

• Topical — Route of Administration
• Transdermal — Route of Administration
• in_vitro — Evidence Tier