Biodegradable implants based on photo-cross-linked aliphatic polycarbonates for long-acting contraception

In this study,a new class of biodegradable contraceptive implants was prepared via the UV irradiation molding method,among which,progestin levonorgestrel(LNG)was used as a model drug.Photo-cross-linked aliphatic polycarbonates(APCs),namely,poly(trimethylene carbonate-co-2,2′-dimethyltrimethylene carbonate)[P(TMC-co-DTC)]elastomers,were used as the drug delivery matrix.The results obtained from the degradation experiments carried out in Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats showed that the cross-linked elastomer had the degradation characteristics of the surface erosion degradation mechanism,with no generation of acid degradation products,and excellent form-stability,which met the performance requirements of the matrix for a long-acting sustained-release delivery system.The in vitro cytotoxicity tests and histological and immunohistochemical evaluations showed good biocompatibility and biosafety of the elastomer matrix material and contraceptive implants.Subsequently,the implant formulations were screened by in vitro release experiments,and their release kinetics were explored.Finally,in the evaluation study of the in vivo anti-fertility effect,the implants exhibited excellent dimensional stability and were degraded by a surface erosion mechanism.LNG achieved a stable and sustained release in female SD rats,maintaining a long-acting contraceptive duration of up to 4 months.The contraceptive implants obtained in this study could be used to address the limitations of currently available formulations,which required secondary surgical removal and a single means of regulating drug release kinetics.Therefore,these implants could provide a new option for birth control needs and may be of significance in reducing the incidence of induced abortion and protecting female fertility.

A dual-function chemical probe for detecting erasers of lysine lipoylation

Lysine lipoylation plays vital roles in cell metabolism and redox processes.For example,removal of lipoylation will decrease pyruvate dehydrogenase activity and affect the citric acid cycle.Despite the important functions of lysine lipoylation,the mechanisms for the addition and removal of this modification remain largely unexplored.Very few useful chemical tools are available to study the interactions of lysine lipoylation with its regulatory delipoylation proteins.For example,immunoaffinity purification-mass spectrometry is one of such tools,which highly relies on antibody efficiency and purification techniques.Single-step activity based fluorogenic probes developed by our groups and others is also an efficient method to study the deacylation activity.Affinitybased labeling probe using photo-cross-linker is a powerful platform to study the transient and dynamic interactions of peptide ligands with the interacting proteins.Herein,we have designed and synthesized a dual-function probe KTLlip for studying enzymatic delipoylation(eraser)activity and interaction of lysine lipoylation with the eraser at the same time.We show that KTLlip can be used as a useful tool to detect delipoylation as demonstrated by its ability to fluorescently label the eraser activity of recombinant Sirt2.We envision that the probe will help delineate the roles of delipoylation enzyme in biology.

UV irradiation induced conductivity improvement in poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) film

We describe a simple method to increase the conductivity of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate)(PEDOT:PSS)film by exposure to ultraviolet(UV)light in vacuum.Up to four order of conductivity improvement(from 10 3to 50 S/cm)is achieved by irradiating PEDOT:PSS film with 254 nm ultraviolet(UV)light.Increased conductivity in UV treated PEDOT:PSS film is stable under ambient exposure.The mechanism for conductivity improvement is investigated by current-voltage measurement,atomic force microscopy,and absorption spectrum.Photo-cross-linking of PSS chains is determined as the reason for conductivity improvement.Our result demonstrates that UV treatment is capable of modifying the conductivity of PEDOT:PSS film independent of the process of film formation.