The role of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in ex-vivo examination of human skin burn injury treatment

Abstract

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is one of the most versatile solvents in biological science, therefore it is frequently used as a solvent in biological studies and as a vehicle for drug therapy. DMSO readily penetrates, diffuses through biological membranes and ipso facto increases fluidity of liposomal membranes modelling stratum corneum. Thermal injury is associated with the appearance of lipid peroxidation products in the burned skin. The influence of DMSO on protein structure and stability is concentration and temperature dependant. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of DMSO on human burn wounds and examine the interactions between DMSO and skin surface. The real problem in burn treatment is hypoalbuminemia. At the level of the laboratory studies there was an attempt at answering the question of whether the DMSO will modify the standard serum solution. In the case of the incubation of skin fragments in 1%–100% DMSO, the following findings were reported: modification of the serum, appearance of low molecular weight oligomer bands, disappearance of albumin bands or reconstruction of native serum bands during incubation in antioxidant solutions. The result of the modification is also the exposure of FTIR 1603 and 1046cm−1 bands observed in frozen serum solutions. In the case of modification of the burned skin by DMSO solutions or antioxidants – frequency shifts, an increase in the intensity of amide I band as well as the appearance of the 1601cm−1 band can be specific biomarkers of the tissue regeneration process. In this study the areas 1780–1580cm−1 and 1418–1250cm−1 on the Raman spectra are particularly rich in spectral information.