Cytotoxicity of commonly used solvents at elevated temperatures.

At 43 degrees C (but not at 41 degrees C), organic solvents used to dissolve water-insoluble chemotherapeutic agents become themselves lethal to cells. This finding is not unique to Chinese hamster cells (HA-1); mouse mammary sarcoma cells (EMT-6) behave similarly. The solvent concentrations involved are in the range of those needed to make drug solutions. Hence experiments measuring drug-cell interactions at elevated temperatures must include controls which independently measure solvent effects.