Coadministration of dimethyl sulfoxide reduces cisplatin nephrotoxicity.

The administration of dimethyl sulfoxide with cisplatin at a mole ratio of 200:1 results in a considerable reduction in the nephrotoxicity produced when cisplatin alone is administered to Sprague-Dawley rats at 7.5 mg/kg. Observed measures of nephrotoxicity which were significantly improved by the coadministration of cisplatin and DMSO over the values found for cisplatin alone include BUN, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance and histopathological evidence of renal damage. The weight loss associated with cisplatin administration was also significantly reduced by DMSO coadministration. The use of DMSO did not result in any observable loss in antitumor activity of cisplatin against the Walker 256 carcinosarcoma.