ADDITION OF DIMETHYLSULFOXIDE TO METHYL-TERT-BUTYL ETHER AND ETHYL PROPIONATE INCREASES CHOLESTEROL DISSOLVING CAPACITY AND CHOLESTEROL GALL STONE DISSOLUTION IN-VITRO
Jjghm. Bergman et al., ADDITION OF DIMETHYLSULFOXIDE TO METHYL-TERT-BUTYL ETHER AND ETHYL PROPIONATE INCREASES CHOLESTEROL DISSOLVING CAPACITY AND CHOLESTEROL GALL STONE DISSOLUTION IN-VITRO, Gut, 35(11), 1994, pp. 1653-1658
There is a discrepancy between in vitro cholesterol dissolving efficac
y of methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and ethyl propionate and cholester
ol gall stone dissolution in vivo. This study investigated whether the
presence of bile changes the cholesterol dissolving capacity of MTBE
and ethyl propionate. The addition of dimethylsulphoxide to MTBE or et
hyl propionate was also studied to discover if it improves the dissolv
ing capacity for cholesterol gall stones. The presence of bile caused
a 25% decrease in cholesterol dissolving capacity of both MTBE and eth
yl propionate (p<0.0001). This inhibitory effect of bile could be over
come by the addition of dimethylsulphoxide: dimethylsulphoxide caused
an increase in cholesterol dissolving capacity of MTBE and ethyl propi
onate, the increase depending on the dimethylsulphoxide/bile ratio in
the mixture. Mean dissolution time of weight, size, and patient matche
d cholesterol gall stones was 220 minutes in MTBE and 130 minutes in M
TBE/dimethylsulphoxide (p<0.0001). No stones dissolved completely in e
thyl propionate or ethyl propionate/dimethylsulphoxide within 300 minu
tes. In conclusion, MTBE/dimethylsulphoxide is a more potent dissolvin
g agent for cholesterol gall stones than MTBE, giving a 40% reduction
in dissolution time. Addition of dimethylsulphoxide to ethyl propionat
e does not result in faster stone dissolution. MTBE and MTBE/dimethyls
ulphoxide are far superior to ethyl propionate as solvents for cholest
erol gall stones.