Dimethyl sulfoxide and oxidative stress on cultures of human keratinocytes.

OBJECTIVES The aim of the present study was to examine the protective action of the antioxidant dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) against the oxidative stress on keratinocyte cultures caused by glucose deprivation and hypoxia, using the concentration of malonyl dialdehyde existing in the cell culture as an indicator of the oxidative stress level. METHODS EIGHTY FLASKS WITH CULTURED HUMAN KERATINOCYTES IN A CONFLUENT LAYER WERE DIVIDED INTO EIGHT GROUPS, INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING: culture medium with and without glucose, culture medium with and without the addition of DMSO, culture medium subjected and not subjected to hypoxia, and culture medium with a combination of these factors. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS The statistical analysis of the results showed that DMSO proved to be an effective agent against the oxidative stress on cultures of keratinocytes under the experimental conditions studied.