Toxicity of DMSO to Bovine Corneal Endothelium

The toxicity of DMSO to bovine corneal endothelial cells is evaluated by the staining of nuclei in damaged cells by Trypane blue. The number of cells damaged by DMSO in a purely synthetic medium increase with the concentration of DMSO and time. No correlation is found between DMSO toxicity and temperature. The effect of mechanical strain and exposure to DMSO in synthetic medium is found to be additive. Latent damage exerted by DMSO in synthetic medium is revealed by subsequent incubation of the cells in pure synthetic medium prior to staining.