Inhibitory effect of dimethyl sulfoxide on the proliferation of cultured arterial smooth muscle cells: relationship to the cytoplasmic microtubules.

Our preliminary study has shown that dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) has an inhibitory effect on the proliferation of cultured arterial smooth muscle cells and promotes phenotypic modulation from the synthetic state to the contractile state. In the present study we have examined the effect of DMSO with special attention to relationship between cell growth and cytoplasmic microtubules. DMSO inhibited DNA synthesis and cell division, and concomitantly promoted microtubule assembly. Initiation of DNA synthesis and cell division of nonproliferating cells by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) was also inhibited in the presence of 1% DMSO. A 12-hr incubation with 10(-6) M colchicine caused disruption of microtubules; however, pretreatment with 1% DMSO for 24 hr prevented the disruption, indicating that DMSO has a stabilizing action on microtubules. A 24-hr exposure to PDGF resulted in microtubule depolymerization, while the addition of 1% DMSO prevented the depolymerization. These results suggest that DMSO inhibits DNA synthesis of cultured smooth muscle cells by stabilizing cytoplasmic microtubules.