Short- and long-term effects of dimethyl sulfoxide on mouse pancreatic islet B-cell function in vitro.

Dimethylsulfoxide has been used as a cryoprotectant for the endocrine pancreas. To explore possible harmful effects of Me2SO influenced neither glucose-stimulated insulin release, nor islet glucose oxidation. On the other hand, 1 M but not 0.25 M Me2SO decreased glucose-stimulated (pro)insulin and total protein biosynthesis in acute experiments. In islet culture experiments with Me2SO-supplemented culture media there was no obvious effects on glucose-stimulated (pro)insulin biosynthesis. It is suggested that Me2SO in the range 0.01-0.5 M does not affect islet B-cell function in vitro.