Because of a lapse in government funding, the information on this website may not be up to date, transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted. The NIH Clinical Center (the research hospital of NIH) is open. For more details about its operating status, please visit cc.nih.gov. Updates regarding government operating status and resumption of normal operations can be found at opm.gov.

NLM Logo

Dimethyl Sulfoxide MeSH Descriptor Data 2026


MeSH Heading
Dimethyl Sulfoxide
Tree Number(s)
D02.886.640.150
Unique ID
D004121
RDF Unique Identifier
http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/D004121
Scope Note
A highly polar organic liquid, that is used widely as a chemical solvent. Because of its ability to penetrate biological membranes, it is used as a vehicle for topical application of pharmaceuticals. It is also used to protect tissue during CRYOPRESERVATION. Dimethyl sulfoxide shows a range of pharmacological activity including analgesia and anti-inflammation.
Entry Term(s)
DMSO
Dimethyl Sulphoxide
Dimethylsulfoxide
Dimethylsulphinyl
Dimethylsulphoxide
Dimexide
Rheumabene
Rimso
Rimso 100
Rimso-50
Sclerosol
Sulfinylbis(methane)
Pharm Action
Cryoprotective Agents
Solvents
Free Radical Scavengers
Registry Numbers
YOW8V9698H
0
Related Numbers
67-68-5
CAS Type 1 Name
Methane, sulfinylbis-
NLM Classification #
QV 60
Public MeSH Note
65
History Note
65(64)
Date Introduced
1965/01/01
Last Updated
2016/07/05
Dimethyl Sulfoxide Preferred
Rimso 100 Narrower
Rimso Narrower
Dimexide Narrower
Sclerosol Narrower
Rheumabene Narrower
Rimso-50 Narrower
page delivered in 0.123s