Review article

Biological actions of drug solvents

TOMISLAV KELAVA ; 1Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Šalata 3b, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
IVAN ĆAVAR ; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Mostar, Bijeli brijeg bb, 88 000 Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
FILIP ČULO ; 1_Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Mostar, Bijeli brijeg bb, 88 000 Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina; 2_Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Osijek, Huttlerova 4, 31000 Osijek, Croatia

Abstract

Many biologic agents are weakly soluble in water. Therefore, they should be dissolved in organic lipophilic solvents (vehicles). A drug vehicle is a substance of no therapeutic value that is used to convey an active biological agent to the site of its action. Ideally, it should be biocompatible, 100% reliable, with no biological effect per se. However, presently used vehicles have pleiotropic effects, which are often unknown to researchers, and often cause misleading conclusions. In this review we summarize data on biological effects
of the three most commonly used lipophilic drug vehicles dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), propylene glycol (PG) and ethanol. Besides in experimental models, the data, where available, are shown on effects of solvents in therapeutic use in humans. In conclusion, some recommendations are given on the use of drug solvents in experiments.

Keywords

dimethylsulfoxide; propylene glycol; ethanol

Hrčak ID:

74090

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/74090

Publication date:

31.10.2011.

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