The macrocyclic molecular container cucurbit [7]uril (CB[7]), the most water-soluble homologue in the cucurbit[n]uril family (n = 5-8, 10, 14), has been evaluated for its in vivo toxicity profile, including its developmental toxicity such as its effect on hatching, growth and survival, as well as its potential organ-specific toxicities such as cardiotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, and locomotion and behavioral toxicity, using zebrafish models. The results revealed that CB[7] has measureable cardiotoxicity and locomotion and behavioral toxicity at concentrations of ~500 µM or higher, and negligible developmental and hepatotoxicity at concentrations up to 750 µM, although extended exposure to CB[7] at the 500-750 µM concentration range induced the mortality of tested fish. These results demonstrate for the first time with live in vivo animal models that
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Cucurbit [7]uril (CB [7]) was found in vitro to sequester the neurotoxins MPTP (N-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine) and MPP + (N-methyl-4-phenylpyridine). The CB [7]/neurotoxin host−guest complexes were studied in detail with 1 H NMR, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, UV− visible spectroscopic titration, and molecular modeling by density functional theory. The results supported the macrocyclic encapsulation of MPTP and MPP + , respectively, by CB [7] in aqueous solutions with relatively strong affinities and 1:1 host− guest binding stoichiometries in both cases. More importantly, the progression of MPTP/MPP + induced neurodegeneration (often referred to as a Parkinson's disease model) was observed to be strongly inhibited in vivo by the synthetic CB [7] receptor, as shown in zebrafish models. These results show that a supramolecular approach could lead to a new preventive and/or therapeutic strategy for counteracting the deleterious effects of some neurotoxins leading to neurodegeneration.
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