No abstract

We synthesized a new water‐soluble tribenzotriquinacene‐based hexacarboxylate (TBTQ‐C6, or H) which can associate with an azobenzene‐containing amphiphile (trans‐AZO) to form the H ⊃ trans‐AZO supra‐amphiphile by host‐guest interactions in water. This supra‐amphiphile further self‐assembles into photo and pH dual‐responsive vesicles. The reversible conversion between the vesicles and micelles can be easily controlled by both UV or visible light irradiation and pH adjustment. This work represents the first study of stimuli‐responsive TBTQ‐based supramolecular vesicles, which may have potential applications in various fields such as controlled drug delivery systems.

A sugar-functionalized water-soluble tribenzotriquinacene derivative bearing six glucose residues, TBTQ-(OG) 6 , was synthesized and its interaction with C60 and C70-fullerene in co-organic solvents and aqueous solution was investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The association stoichiometry of the complexes TBTQ-(OG) 6 with C60 and TBTQ-(OG) 6 with C70 was found to be 1:1 with binding constants of K a = (1.50 ± 0.10) × 105 M−1 and K a = (2.20 ± 0.16) × 105 M−1, respectively. The binding affinity between TBTQ-(OG) 6 and C60 was further verified by Raman spectroscopy. The geometry of the complex of TBTQ-(OG) 6 with C60 deduced from DFT calculations indicates that the driving force of the complexation is mainly due to the hydrophobic effect and to host–guest π–π interactions. Hydrophobic surface simulations showed that TBTQ-(OG) 6 and C60 forms an amphiphilic supramolecular host–guest complex, which further assembles to microspheres with diameters of 0.3–3.5 μm, as determined by scanning electron microscopy.

A new water-soluble hexacarboxylated tribenzotriquinacene derivative (TBTQ-CB6) was synthesized and used as a supramolecular drug carrier to load the model anticancer drugs dimethyl viologen (MV) and doxorubicin (DOX) via host–guest interactions. The drugs could be effectively released by spermine (SM), a molecule overexpressed in cancer cells, through host–guest competitive substitution since TBTQ-CB6 has a stronger binding affinity toward SM than MV and DOX. The host–guest interactions of the complexes of TBTQ-CB6 with MV, DOX and SM were investigated by NMR spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy. The association stoichiometry of the complexes of TBTQ-CB6 with MV, DOX, and SM was found to be 1:1 with association constants of Ka = (7.67 ± 0.34) × 104 M−1, Ka = (6.81 ± 0.33) × 104 M−1, and Ka = (5.09 ± 0.98) × 105 M−1, respectively. The competitive substitution process was visualized by NMR titration. This novel TBTQ-based host–guest drug delivery system may have potential use in supramolecular chemotherapy.

A prospective study.Objective. To develop a simplified Chinese version of Lumbar Spine Instability Questionnaire (SC-LSIQ) and test its measurement properties. Summary of Background Data. The LSIQ has been translated into several languages. Different versions of LSIQ have proved good reliability and validity in evaluating patients with low back pain. However, there is no simplified Chinese version of LSIQ (SC-LSIQ). Materials and Methods. The SC-LSIQ has been translated into a simplified Chinese version according to a standard procedure. A total of 155 patients with low back pain completed the SC-LSIQ along with Oswestry Disability Index, Roland-Morris disability questionnaire, Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, and visual analogue scale (VAS). The internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and validity of SC-LSIQ were then calculated to evaluate the measurement properties of SC-LSIQ. Results. The results of SC-LSIQ demonstrated that there was no ceiling or floor effect detected. The Cronbach α coefficient of 0.911 determined a well internal consistency. The intraclass correlation coefficient (0.98) presented an excellent reliability of SC-LSIQ. The Pearson correlation coefficient (r) showed that the SC-LSIQ was excellent correlated to Oswestry Disability Index (r = 0.809), Roland-Morris disability questionnaire (r = 0.870), and Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (r = 0.945,). Furthermore, it moderately correlated to visual analogue scale (r = 0.586). Conclusion.The SC-LSIQ features good internal consistency, reliability, and validity for evaluating Chinese patients with LBP. Results suggest that the SC-LSIQ can be appropriately applied to patients with LBP in routine clinical practice.