Anti-angiogenic effects of dimethyl sulfoxide on endothelial cells

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties and is the only intravesical agent approved by the FDA for the treatment of interstitial cystitis. While it is known that DMSO has numerous biological effects on cell differentiation and alteration of cell-surface carbohydrate structures, the anti-inflammatory mechanism of DMSO has been not clear yet. Therefore, further investigation of DMSO in terms of inflammation therapy is needed. This study assessed the in vitro anti-angiogenic effects of DMSO on human aorta endothelial cells to clarify one of the mechanisms of its anti-inflammatory activity. DMSO did not affect expression of E-selectin on endothelial cells in the presence of TNF-alpha. Furthermore, DMSO effectively inhibited capillary tube formation; this mechanism would be due to suppression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) production. These results provide useful knowledge about the anti-inflammatory effects of DMSO and the regulatory mechanism of MMP-2.