​When choosing a delivery vehicle, consider the properties of the compound (polarity, solubility, stability), the route of administration, the final intended dose, animal mass, and possible confounding effects of the solvent. While water and saline are convenient for gavage and injection, they are not suitable for hydrophobic compounds. Ethanol and DMSO can be used to make stock solutions but should be present at less than 0.1% in most applications.* Even then, they may have unwanted effects in certain systems. Vehicles such as vegetable oil or polymer preparations of cyclodextrin (CD), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), or polyethylene glycol (PEG) can be effective vehicles for extremely hydrophobic compounds. With any vehicle, toxicity should be assessed with a vehicle control before testing the compound in large numbers of animals. Note: All animal experiments should be authorized by your Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee and/or veterinary staff. Cayman's research grade chemicals are not supplied as sterile or tested for endotoxin (unless specifically stated). For further information contact our Technical Support scientists.

*Verheijen, M., Lienhard, M., Schrooders, Y., et al. DMSO induces drastic changes in human cellular processes and epigenetic landscape in vitro. Sci. Rep. 9(1), 4641 (2019).

Learn More About Solubility Factors When Choosing a Solvent