聚L-谷氨酸可注射水凝胶的制备及性能

通过活化改性聚L-谷氨酸（PLGA）制备酰肼化PLGA（PLGA-ADH）和3-氨基-1,2-丙二醇改性的PLGA（PLGA-OH）,PLGA-OH经高碘酸钠氧化制得醛基化PLGA（PLGA-CHO）,以PLGA-ADH和PLGA-CHO为前驱体,通过席夫碱交联反应构建了PLGA可注射水凝胶.研究了酰肼化和醛基化改性前后PLGA的结构变化,考察了固含量对水凝胶成胶时间、溶胀行为、机械性能、体外降解性能、药物释放行为及微观形貌等的影响,并进行了初步的细胞培养实验及裸鼠皮下注射成胶实验.结果表明,该PLGA可注射水凝胶在组织工程领域具有良好的应用前景.     

新型结合阿霉素的聚乙二醇嵌段共聚树枝状聚赖氨酸的合成及其药物缓释行为的研究

采用液相多肽合成方法, 成功制备得到窄分子量分布、结构确定的聚乙二醇嵌段共聚四代树枝状聚赖氨酸 (MPEG-block-DPL4). 在此基础上, 进一步将其DPL4的端氨基转化为端肼基, 并通过其与抗肿瘤药物阿霉素(DOX) C＝O的反应形成C＝N键, 实现在DPL4表面的阿霉素药物分子化学结合, 最终得到新型pH敏感性的高分子药物MPEG-block-DPL4-CONHN＝DOX. 运用紫外分光光度(UV-Vis)法, 对MPEG-block-DPL4-CONHNH₂与阿霉素的负载效率进行了定量分析. 高分子药物MPEG-block-DPL4-CONHN＝DOX在生理条件(pH＝7.4)下相对稳定, 而弱酸性条件(pH＝4.5, 5.5)下, C＝N键能较快水解, 释放阿霉素药物分子. 体外细胞毒性评价结果表明(细胞株SMMC-7721和SPCA-1), 所得新型高分子药物MPEG-block-DPL4-CONHN＝DOX的细胞毒性显著地低于游离阿霉素药物分子, 因此, 可进一步研究发展成为新型pH敏感性可控缓释高分子抗肿瘤药物载体体系.     

基于β-环糊精接枝聚L-谷氨酸星型聚合物的可注射水凝胶的制备与表征

采用Gadelle-Defaye法制备了全-6-氨基-β-环糊精[β-CD-(NH2)7],并用"Grafting-from"接枝法得到不同分子量的星型结构β-环糊精-g-聚L-谷氨酸(β-CD-g-PLGA).对β-CD-g-PLGA进行酰肼化改性后与醛基化海藻酸钠(ALG-CHO)通过席夫碱交联反应制备β-CD-g-PLGA/ALG水凝胶.研究了前驱体浓度以及β-CD-gPLGA分子量对β-CD-g-PLGA/ALG水凝胶性能的影响,并以疏水性辛伐他汀(SIM)为模型药物,研究了水凝胶对SIM的控制释放行为.     

NO释放性抗菌、抗氧化水凝胶的制备及性能

设计合成了具有光热和NO释放性的抗菌、抗氧化水凝胶。利用Fe³⁺和戊二醛将聚赖氨酸、单宁酸(TA)交联形成水凝胶，并负载NO供体分子S-亚硝基-N-乙酰基-DL-青霉胺(SNAP)获得兼具光热和NO控释功能的水凝胶(NO-Fe_x-TA₂₀, x=5, 7, 9)。所合成的Fe₉-TA₂₀水凝胶具有良好的光热性能，在1 W/cm²近红外光照射下10 min内温度可达到43.8℃。在可见光和37℃恒温下，NO-Fe₉-TA₂₀水凝胶3 h累计释放的NO达到36.48μmol/L。抗菌实验表明，水凝胶对金黄色葡萄球菌具有优异的杀菌活性，杀菌活性大于99.9%；同时，其能够高效清除2,2-联苯基-1-苦基胼基(DPPH)自由基，清除率大于84.3%，抗氧化效果显著。     

载万古霉素PLGA-PEG-PLGA温度敏感水凝胶的体外抗菌性能

利用聚乙二醇（PEG 1500）引发乙交酯和D,L-丙交酯开环共聚合制备聚丙交酯乙交酯（PLGA）三嵌段共聚物（PLGA-PEG-PLGA）温敏水凝胶材料,并通过核磁共振氢谱（¹H NMR）确定产物的结构及组成.应用倒置小瓶法测量得到不同浓度下PLGA-PEG-PLGA水凝胶的溶胶-凝胶相变温度为27~32℃.此外,体外降解实验及细胞毒性实验结果表明,质量分数为25%的水凝胶有满意的降解速度及良好的生物相容性.同时,利用紫外-可见光谱分析了载万古霉素水凝胶的体外药物释放行为,结果表明,万古霉素可以持续释放12 d.抗菌实验结果表明,载万古霉素水凝胶具有良好的抗菌效果.表明PLGA-PEG-PLGA三嵌段温敏水凝胶是一种较理想的万古霉素缓释载体,具有良好的临床应用前景.     

新型羧甲基壳聚糖水凝胶流变性能,药物释放及细胞相容性研究

羧甲基壳聚糖含有丰富的羧基和氨基, 通过1-乙基-(3-二甲基氨基丙基)碳二亚胺盐酸盐(EDC)和N-羟基琥珀酰亚胺(NHS)共催化交联羧甲基壳聚糖形成新型水凝胶. 调节EDC/NHS用量, 制备不同交联度的羧甲基壳聚糖水凝胶(CMCS hydrogels). 研究水凝胶的流变行为, 结果表明, 高交联度的水凝胶具有较好的弹性形变能力, 较高的储存模量, 这是因为随着交联度的升高, 羧甲基壳聚糖水凝胶化学交联网络结构趋于完善. 以胸腺五肽(TP-5)为模型药物, 初步评价CMCS水凝胶药物释放行为, 结果表明水凝胶交联度越高, 胸腺五肽释放速度越慢. MTT法初步评价了水凝胶细胞毒性, 细胞形态和细胞相对增值速率, 结果表明水凝胶毒性很低. 由此可见, 水凝胶具有良好的生物相容性, 在药物缓释和组织工程领域具有广阔的应用前景.     

温度/pH响应性MPEG-b-PCL/PNVCL-b-PCL共聚物复合胶束的制备及载药性质

以基于亚胺键的嵌段共聚物为构筑单元的温度/pH响应性共聚物复合胶束(CMs), 由于具有亚胺键和核-壳-冠结构, 表现出较高的灵敏度和稳定性. 以聚乙二醇单甲醚(MPEG)、 N-乙烯基己内酰胺(NVCL)和ε-己内酯(ε-CL)为原料, 分别制备了端醛基聚乙二醇单甲醚(MPEG-CHO)、 端醛基聚N-乙烯基己内酰胺(PNVCL-CHO)和端氨基聚己内酯(H₂N-PCL), 利用希夫碱反应, 进一步制备了基于亚胺键的聚乙二醇单甲醚-b-聚己内酯(MPEG-b-PCL)和聚N-乙烯基己内酰胺-b-聚己内酯(PNVCL-b-PCL)嵌段共聚物, 对共聚物结构进行了确认. 以MPEG-b-PCL和PNVCL-b-PCL为构筑单元, 制备了共聚物复合胶束, 研究了复合胶束对阿霉素的包载、 释放性质和细胞毒性等. 研究结果表明, 室温下MPEG-b-PCL和PNVCL-b-PCL能够在水中自组装形成以PCL为核、 MPEG和PNVCL为混合壳的共聚物复合胶束, 在生理温度下, 温敏性PNVCL链段发生相变塌缩在PCL核表面, 能够防止药物扩散释放, 亲水性MPEG链段形成可控通道. 药物体外释放结果表明, 在弱酸性环境中, 亚胺键能够断裂, 胶束被破坏, 促进药物的释放, 噻唑蓝(MTT)实验表明, 复合胶束的细胞毒性较低.     

NEPE推进剂固化交联的流变学研究

采用动态流变学方法研究了硝酸酯增塑聚醚(NEPE)推进剂的固化历程. 结果表明, 推进剂固化初期(黏流态)的储能模量(G′)和损耗模量(G″)随时间增加缓慢增大, G′gel)缩短, 但推进剂在凝胶点和固化结束时的储能模量G′_gel(622~781 Pa)和G′_∞(831.1×10³~868.3×10³ Pa)的变化不大. 推进剂在固化初期(反应控制阶段)符合一级反应动力学关系, 推进剂的固化过程符合Hsich动力学模型, 由反应速率常数(k_c)、凝胶时间(t_gel)和特征松弛时间(τ)得到推进剂的表观反应活化能ΔE_c, ΔE_g和ΔE_τ分别为129.6, 122.1和120.6 kJ/mol.     

新型羧甲基壳聚糖水凝胶的合成与表征

通过1-乙基-(3-二甲基氨基丙基)碳二亚胺盐酸盐(EDC)/N-羟基琥珀酰亚胺(NHS)催化体系使羧甲基壳聚糖(CMCS)交联,制备了新型羧甲基壳聚糖水凝胶.探讨了EDC用量和EDC/NHS质量比对水凝胶特性的影响.CMCS水凝胶具有pH响应特性,在等电位点溶胀率最小.降解实验结果表明,水凝胶浸泡在磷酸盐缓冲溶液中,10 d失重率在15%~45%之间,主要是未交联部分溶解所致.而浸泡在含有0.2 mg/mL溶菌酶的磷酸盐缓冲溶液中,低交联度水凝胶80 h基本降解,高交联度水凝胶不易降解.初步研究了CMCS水凝胶包埋牛血清白蛋白(BSA)的释放行为.     

PLG-g-TA/RGD酶催化交联水凝胶用于透明软骨细胞黏附和三维细胞培养

制备了一种基于聚谷氨酸-g-酪胺/cRGDfk(PLG-g-TA/RGD)的新型酶催化交联水凝胶, 用于兔透明软骨细胞黏附和三维细胞的培养. PLG-g-TA/RGD聚合物材料在辣根过氧化物酶(HRP)和过氧化氢(H₂O₂)存在下, 能够通过酪氨基团的自交联快速形成水凝胶. 环状多肽(cRGDfk)的引入能够显著提高材料的溶液-凝胶转变速率和凝胶强度. 透明软骨细胞在水凝胶表面黏附3 d后, 在PLG-g-TA/RGD水凝胶表面有更多的细胞黏附; 将透明软骨细胞包裹在水凝胶内培养1, 4, 7 d后, 细胞在PLG-g-TA/RGD水凝胶内增殖效率明显高于对照组PLG-g-TA水凝胶. 细胞实验结果表明, 该水凝胶材料具有良好的生物相容性. cRGDfk的引入, 促进了透明软骨细胞的黏附和增殖, 显示了PLG-g-TA/RGD水凝胶材料在三维细胞培养方面的应用潜力.     

Photo‐ and pH‐Responsive Polycarbonate Block Copolymer Prodrug Nanomicelles for Controlled Release of Doxorubicin

Photo/pH dual‐responsive amphiphilic diblock copolymers with alkyne functionalized pendant o‐nitrobenzyl ester group are synthesized using poly(ethylene glycol) as a macroinitiator. The pendant alkynes are functionalized as aldehyde groups by the azide‐alkyne Huisgen cycloaddition. The anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) molecules are then covalently conjugated through acid‐sensitive Schiff‐base linkage. The resultant prodrug copolymers self‐assemble into nanomicelles in aqueous solution. The prodrug nanomicelles have a well‐defined morphology with an average size of 20–40 nm. The dual‐stimuli are applied individually or simultaneously to study the release behavior of DOX. Under UV light irradiation, nanomicelles are disassembled due to the ONB ester photocleavage. The light‐controlled DOX release behavior is demonstrated using fluorescence spectroscopy. Due to the pH‐sensitive imine linkage the DOX molecules are released rapidly from the nanomicelles at the acidic pH of 5.0, whereas only minimal amount of DOX molecules is released at the pH of 7.4. The DOX release rate is tunable by applying the dual‐stimuli simultaneously. In vitro studies against colon cancer cells demonstrate that the nanomicelles show the efficient cellular uptake and the intracellular DOX release, indicating that the newly designed copolymers with dual‐stimuli‐response have significant potential applications as a smart nanomedicine against cancer.     

Amino Acid–Substituted Dextran‐Based Non‐Viral Vectors for Gene Delivery

To form bio‐inspired non‐viral vectors for DNA delivery, the polysaccharide dextran is allowed to react with Boc‐amino protected amino acids glycine, β‐alanine, and L‐lysine activated with 1,1’‐carbonyldiimidazole and subsequent dextran ester deprotection. A library of such dextran esters is made available to investigate the relationship between polymer structure, complex formation, stability, toxicity, and transfection. Only dextran esters of β‐alanine and L‐lysine are able to efficiently interact with DNA as shown by dye exclusion assays, to form nanosized complexes (70–110 nm) with positive zeta potential. With increasing substitution degree and complex charge ratios, the L‐lysine esters accomplish more effective binding and protection of DNA against enzymatic degradation than β‐alanine esters. However, luciferase reporter gene assays reveal higher transfection for β‐alanine than for L‐lysine esters due to a more effective DNA release and better suited buffing area of the amino groups triggering the endosomal release. Conclusively, β‐alanine‐substituted dextran derivatives may serve as promising non‐viral vectors.     

Unusual in vitro degradation behavior of physically cross-linked liposome gel network

In this study, the in vitro degradation behavior of self-assembled liposome gel was investigated, especially in comparison with rheological studies. The liposome gel, physically cross-linked by hydrophobic interactions, was obtained by mixing liposome solution with cholesterol-end capped polyethylene glycol. The liposome gel was found to have rheological behavior similar to that of Maxwell model. The plateau modulus of the liposome gel, an important value to reflect the effective cross-linking density among the network, was dependent on both the liposome concentration and the polymer concentration. When the liposome gels were exposed to an aqueous solution, they first showed a period of swelling phase due to adsorption of water and then a dissolution phase began, leading to the full degradation of the network. The liposome gel with higher plateau modulus (i.e. higher effective cross-linking density) was found to degrade more slowly, indicating that the degradation behavior of the gel was closely related with the rheological properties. In order to study the gel degradation mechanism more directly, dextran blue-loaded liposome gel was prepared. In the initial period of the liposome gel exposure to the aqueous solution, the dextran blue release was of Fickian diffusion transport behavior. After that period, the release mechanism was found to be of Super Case II transport, which was gel matrix relaxation controlled.     

Nystatin—dextran conjugates: Synthesis and characterization

The coupling of nystatin (Nys), a water-insoluble antifungal agent, to dextran via an imine or amine bond was systematically investigated. Dextran was first oxidized to dialdehyde dextran using potassium periodate, purified from the oxidizing agent, and reacted with Nys to form the Schiff base. The Schiff base was reduced to the amine using borohydride. All reactions took place in water. The purification of the oxidized dextran from the oxidizing agent was essential to prevent oxidative degradation of Nys at the coupling step. The effects on the coupling yield of the following factors: dextran molecular weight, degree of oxidation (aldehyde content), Nys to dextran ratio, temperature, and reaction pH were studied. A 95% coupling yield was obtained at the optimized coupling conditions: pH 8.9 ± 0.1, 50% degree of oxidation, and initial ratio of Nys to dialdehyde dextran 1:2.5. In all experiments, dextran was decreased in molecular weight during the oxidation step. Both imine and amine forms of Nys-dextran conjugates were soluble in water and exhibited improved stability in aqueous solutions as compared to the unbound drug. The conjugates showed comparable minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values against Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans. The conjugates were about 25 times less toxic than free Nys after a single injection in mice. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Giant reduction in dynamic modulus of kappa-carrageenan magnetic gels

Effects of magnetization on the complex modulus of kappa-carrageenan magnetic gels have been investigated. The magnetic gel was made of a natural polymer, kappa-carrageenan, and a ferrimagnetic particle, barium ferrite. The complex modulus was measured before and after magnetization of the gel by dynamic viscoelastic measurements with a compressional strain. The gels showed a giant reduction in the storage modulus of approximately 10(7) Pa and also in the loss modulus of approximately 10(6) Pa due to magnetization. The reduction increased with increasing volume fraction of ferrite, and it was nearly independent of the frequency. It was also found that the change in the modulus was nearly independent of the magnetization direction and irradiation time of the magnetic fields to the gel. The magnetic gels demonstrating the giant reduction in the dynamic modulus showed a large nonlinear viscoelastic response. It was observed that the magnetic gel was deformed slightly due to magnetization. The observed giant complex modulus reduction could be attributed to the nonlinear viscoelasticity and deformation caused by magnetization. Magnetism, nonlinear viscoelasticity, and effects of magnetization on the morphological and shape changes were discussed.     

Dextran oxidized by a malaprade reaction shows main chain scission through a maillard reaction triggered by schiff base formation between aldehydes and amines

Although periodate‐oxidized dextran is widely used in biomedical applications, the degradation mechanism of oxidized dextran has not yet been elucidated. Herein, we propose a novel main chain scission mechanism of oxidized dextran triggered by reaction with amine. NMR analysis revealed four hemiacetal substructures during oxidation by periodate. Kinetic analysis showed that the degradation time constant of the C3‐removed substructure and increasing time constant of the reducing end protons are consistent with the decrease in molecular weight determined by gel permeation chromatography. A methylene group is generated at the same time constant of degradation, indicating that oxidized dextran degradation proceeds via a Maillard reaction. Oxidized dextran does not degrade in saline solution without reactive amine species. Thus, we conclude that oxidized dextran is degraded in the main chain via Schiff base formation through a Maillard reaction, depending on the oxidation ratio and amino acid concentration. These findings help to elucidate the reaction mechanism of polysaccharide degradation and develop novel biodegradable polysaccharide materials for biomedical applications. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 2254–2260     

Redox‐Responsive Resilin‐Like Hydrogels for Tissue Engineering and Drug Delivery Applications

Resilin, a protein found in insect cuticles, is renowned for its outstanding elastomeric properties. The authors' laboratory previously developed a recombinant protein, which consisted of consensus resilin‐like repeats from Anopheles gambiae, and demonstrated its potential in cartilage and vascular engineering. To broaden the versatility of the resilin‐like protein, this study utilizes a cleavable crosslinker, which contains a disulfide bond, to develop smart resilin‐like hydrogels that are redox‐responsive. The hydrogels exhibit a porous structure and a stable storage modulus (G′) of ≈3 kPa. NIH/3T3 fibroblasts cultured on hydrogels for 24 h have a high viability (>95%). In addition, the redox‐responsive hydrogels show significant degradation in a reducing environment (10 mm glutathione (GSH)). The release profiles of fluorescently labeled dextrans encapsulated within the hydrogels are assessed in vitro. For dextran that is estimated to be larger than the mesh size of the gel, faster release is observed in the presence of reducing agents due to degradation of the hydrogel networks. These studies thus demonstrate the potential of using these smart hydrogels in a variety of applications ranging from scaffolds for tissue engineering to drug delivery systems that target the intracellular reductive environments of tumors.     

Combined effort of Fe-dextran and an RTIL towards formation of ionogel

Gelation of a low molecular weight iron dextran (FeD) complex using a water soluble ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate was observed at a particular weight ratio (FeD:RTIL????3.5:1). Rheological studies show that typical storage modulus of 10?kPa and loss modulus of 8?kPa are observed at a very large frequency window. Furthermore, the gel was found to be reversible and could be redissolved in water, confirming the state of a physical gel. Both the gel and the redissolved solution of the gel showed high ionic conductance as measured by dielectric spectroscopy. This kind of ionogel can be brought up for the development of medical electrosensitive gel devices for the future.     

Hydrogels based on schiff base formation between an amino‐containing polyphosphazene and aldehyde functionalized‐dextrans

Hydrogels generated by the interaction of two different water‐soluble polymers offer access to a new group of soft materials. A prototype amino‐functionalized polyphosphazene with both tyramine and ferulic acid‐based side groups was coupled to aldehyde functionalized‐dextrans to form hydrogels crosslinked via Schiff base chemistry. Synthesis of the polyphosphazene was accomplished by macromolecular substitution and protection‐deprotection chemistry, with characterization by ¹H NMR, ³¹P NMR, solid state ¹³C NMR, and DSC techniques. Combination of the aqueous polyphosphazene and aldehyde functionalized‐dextran solutions at room temperature caused gelation with different gelation times and crosslink densities dependent on the aldehyde content of the dextran. The hydrogel properties were evaluated using rheology, thermal characterization, and cryo‐microscopy. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 2984–2991