An attempt to predict the gelation ability of hydrogen-bond-based gelators utilizing a glycoside library

The correlation between the saccharide crystal structure and its gelating ability seems to be a useful tool for finding promising gelators. By analogy to the other types of the hydrogen-bond-based gelators the tendency to form one-dimensional hydrogen-bonded networks may be essential as a prerequisite for good gelators. The gelation abilities were tested for four configurational isomers (methyl-4,6-O-benzylidyne-α-D-glucopyranoside, methyl-4,6-O-benzylidyne-α-D-allopyranoside, methyl-4,6-O-benzylidyne-α-D-altropyranoside, and methyl-4,6-O-benzylidyne-α-D-idopyranoside) which exhibit quite different hydrogen-bonded networks in their crystal structures. Only in the case of one-dimensional hydrogen-bonded architecture the good gel systems were found.\ud \u

Hepatolithiasis in a 52-year-old native liver survivor with postoperative biliary atresia

Hepatolithiasis is well known to be a late complication after biliary reconstruction. However, there were few reports regarding hepatolithiasis in late complications of long-term, native liver survivors in postoperative patients of biliary atresia. Here, we present a 52-year-old woman who underwent Kasai portoenterostomy for biliary atresia type Ⅲ at the age of 110 days. She was asymptomatic for over 30 years, and birthed three normal babies. Then she suffered from repeated cholangitis due to multiple hepatolithiasis since age 50. A lithotripsy via Roux-en-Y limb was performed but failed due to hepatic hilum strictures. Finally, she underwent living donor liver transplantation. Endoscopic lithotripsy and hepatectomy for hepatolithiasis often fail in biliary atresia patients due to unresolvable intrahepatic or hilar bile duct stenosis and liver dysfunction. Therefore, we consider that liver transplantation is curative and strongly recommended for symptomatic hepatolithiasis as a late complication after biliary atresia surgery

Molecular design of super hydrogelators: understanding the gelation process of azobenzene-based sugar derivatives in water

As an attempt to rationally design aqueous organogelators, a bolaamphiphilic azobenzene derivative (1) bearing two sugar groups was synthesized. Compound 1 formed a gel in water even at concentrations as low as 0.05 wt % (0.65 mM). Spectroscopic studies and electron-micrographic observations have clarified the gel structure and the origin of the gelation ability for water

Organogel or polymer gel; facilitated gelation of a sugar-based organic gel by the addition of a boronic acid-appended polymer

The combination of boronic acid-appended poly(L-lysine) 1 and sugar-based gelator 2 yields a novel organo-polymer gel, consisting of vesicles held together by polymer molecules