The actions of dimethyl sulfoxide on neuromuscular transmission

The effects of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) on subsynaptic response and quantal release of transmitter have been studied at the mammalian neuromuscular junction. Subsynaptically, at low concentrations (up to 1% by volume), DMSO prolongs the time course of decay of miniature endplate currents, (MEPCs), with no significant effect on the amplitude of the currents, which is consistent with an action of DMSO to inhibit acetylcholinesterase. At higher concentrations of DMSO (in excess of 1% by volume) the amplitude of MEPCs and the steady state response to carbamoylcholine (carbachol) are significantly reduced, which suggests an additional action of DMSO other than pure anticholinesterase activity. After pretreatment of the preparation with a low concentration of paraoxon, higher concentrations of DMSO decrease MEPC height and cause highly variable changes in the decay time course of the MEPC. The results suggest that DMSO concentrations in excess of 1% by volume have two distinct and opposite actions on the subsynaptic response; a pure anticholinesterase activity to enhance the response and a depressant effect which is similar to that caused by d-tubocurarine. Presynaptically, DMSO increased both the spontaneous release (measured as the frequency of miniature endplate potentials, fMEPP) and the evoked release (measured as the quantal content of endplate potentials). Both types of release were increased as an exponential function, with the same slope, of the DMSO concentration, suggesting a common mode of action on these two types of release. This action appeared not to be due to an effect on the disposition or effectiveness of calcium ions inside the terminal but, rather, was due to a fusogenic or global effect. In addition, the increase in fMEPP with DMSO was the same when external calcium was replaced by barium. At the concentrations studied, up to 8% by volume, DMSO did not cause any substantial depolarization of the nerve terminal or any appreciable change in the nerve terminal action potential. In a few experiments facilitation was studied at the frog neuromuscular junction and was unchanged by DMSO at concentrations which considerably enhanced transmitter release.