Histone deacetylase inhibitor MS-275 alone or combined with bortezomib or sorafenib exhibits strong antiproliferative action in human cholangiocarcinoma cells

AIM: To investigate the antiproliferative effect of the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor MS-275 on cholangiocarcinoma cells alone and in combination with conventional cytostatic drugs (gemcitabine or doxorubicin) or the novel anticancer agents sorafenib or bortezomib. METHODS: Two human bile duct adenocarcinoma cell lines (EGI-1 and TFK-1) were studied. Crystal violet staining was used for detection of cell number changes. Cytotoxicity was determined by measuring the release of the cytoplasmic enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Apoptosis was determined by measuring the enzyme activity of caspase-3. Cell cycle status reflected by the DNA content was detected by flow cytometry.RESULTS: MS-275 treatment potently inhibited the proliferation of EGI-1 and TFK-1 cholangiocarcinoma cells by inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. MS-275-induced apoptosis was characterized by activation of caspase-3, up-regulation of Bax and down-regulation of Bcl-2. Cell cycle was predominantly arrested at the G1/S checkpoint, which was associated with induction of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21Waf/CIP1. Furthermore, additive anti-neoplastic effects were observed when MS-275 treatment was combined with gemcitabine or doxorubicin, while combination with the multi-kinase inhibitor sorafenib or the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib resulted in overadditive anti-neoplastic effects.CONCLUSION: The growth of human cholangiocarcinoma cells can be potently inhibited by MS-275 alone or in combination with conventional cytostatic drugs or new, targeted anticancer agents.

Drug repurposing of histone deacetylase inhibitors that alleviate neutrophilic inflammation in acute lung injury and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis via inhibiting leukotriene a4 hydrolase and blocking LTB4 biosynthesis

OBJECTIVE Leukotriene B4(LTB4)biosynthesis and subsequently neutrophilic inflammation may provide a potential strategy for the treatment of acute lung injury(ALI)or idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis(IPF).To provide a potential strategy for the treatment of ALI or IPF,we identified potent inhibitors of Leukotriene A4 hydrolase(LTA4H),a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of LTB4.METHODS In this study,we identified two known histone deacetylase(HDAC)inhibitors,suberanilohydroxamic acid(SAHA)and its analogue 4-(dimethylamino)-N-[7-(hydroxyamino)-7-oxoheptyl]benzamide(M344),as effective inhibitors of LTA4H using enzymatic assay,thermofluor assay,and X-ray crystallographic investigation.We next tested the effect of SAHA and M344 on endogenous LTB4 biosynthesis in neutrophils by ELISA and neutrophil migration by transwell migration assay.A murine experimental model of ALI was induced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS)inhalation.Histopathological analysis of lung tissue using H&E staining revealed the serious pulmonary damage caused by LPS treatment and the effect of the SAHA.We next examined m RNA and protein levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in lung tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid using q RT-PCR and ELISA to further investigate the underlying mechanisms of anti-inflammatory activities by SAHA.We also investigated the effects of SAHA and M344 on a murine experimental model of bleomycin(BLM)-induced IPF model.RESULTS The results of enzymatic assay and X-ray crystallography showed that both SAHA and M344 bind to LTA4H,significantly decrease LTB4 levels in neutrophil,and markedly diminish early neutrophilic inflammation in mouse models of ALI and IPF under a clinical safety dose.CONCLUSION Collectively,SAHA and M344 would provide promising agents with well-known clinical safety for potential treatment in patients with ALI and IPF via pharmacologically inhibiting LAT4H and blocking LTB4 biosynthesis.

Histone deacetylase inhibitor pre-treatment enhances the efficacy of DNA-interacting chemotherapeutic drugs in gastric cancer

BACKGROUND The prognosis of gastric cancer continues to remain poor,and epigenetic drugs like histone deacetylase inhibitors(HDACi)have been envisaged as potential therapeutic agents.Nevertheless,clinical trials are facing issues with toxicity and efficacy against solid tumors,which may be partly due to the lack of patient stratification for effective treatments.To study the need of patient stratification before HDACi treatment,and the efficacy of pre-treatment of HDACi as a chemotherapeutic drug sensitizer.METHODS The expression activity of class 1 HDACs and histone acetylation was examined in human gastric cancer cells and tissues.The potential combinatorial regime of HDACi and chemotherapy drugs was defined on the basis of observed drug binding assays,chromatin remodeling and cell death.RESULTS In the present study,the data suggest that the differential increase in HDAC activity and the expression of class 1 HDACs are associated with hypoacetylation of histone proteins in tumors compared to normal adjacent mucosa tissue samples of gastric cancer.The data highlights for the first time that pretreatment of HDACi results in an increased amount of DNA-bound drugs associated with enhanced histone acetylation,chromatin relaxation and cell cycle arrest.Fraction-affected plots and combination index-based analysis show that pre-HDACi chemo drug combinatorial regimes,including valproic acid with cisplatin or oxaliplatin and trichostatin A with epirubicin,exhibit synergism with maximum cytotoxic potential due to higher cell death at low combined doses in gastric cancer cell lines.CONCLUSION Expression or activity of class 1 HDACs among gastric cancer patients present an effective approach for patient stratification.Furthermore,HDACi therapy in pretreatment regimes is more effective with chemotherapy drugs,and may aid in predicting individual patient prognosis.

Experimental treatment of pancreatic cancer with two novel histone deacetylase inhibitors

AIM:To investigate in vitro and in vivo treatment with histone deacetylase inhibitors NVP-LAQ824 and NVP-LBH589 in pancreatic cancer. METHODS:Cell-growth inhibition by NVP-LAQ824 and NVP-LBH589 was studied in vitro in 8 human pancreatic cancer cell lines using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl) -2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide(MTT) assay. In addition,the anti-tumoral effect of NVP-LBH589 was studied in a chimeric mouse model. Anti-tumoral activity of the drugs was assessed by immunoblotting for p21WAF-1,acH4,cell cycle analysis,TUNEL assay,and immunohistochemistry for MIB-1. RESULTS:In vitro treatment with both compounds significantly suppressed the growth of all cancer cell lines and was associated with hyperacetylation of nucleosomal histone H4,increased expression of p21WAF-1,cell cycle arrest at G2/M-checkpoint,and increased apoptosis. In vivo,NVP-LBH589 alone significantly reduced tumor mass and potentiated the efficacy of gemcitabine. Further analysis of the tumor specimens revealed slightly increased apoptosis and no significant reduction of cell proliferation.CONCLUSION:Our findings suggest that NVP-LBH589 and NVP-LAQ824 are active against human pancreatic cancer,although the precise mechanism of in vivo drug action is not yet completely understood. Therefore,further preclinical and clinical studies for the treatment of pancreatic cancer are recommended.

Peanut testa extracts enhance anticancer effect of cisplatin against human cholangiocarcinoma cells via modulation of histone deacetylase inhibitory activity

Objective:To investigate the effect of combination treatments of cisplatin and KK4 and ICG15042 peanut testa extracts against cholangiocarcinoma cells in vitro.Methods:The growth inhibition,cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of cholangiocarcinoma cells were determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and flow cytometry analysis,respectively.The levels of proteins involved in apoptosis were assessed using Western blotting assays.The caspase activity was assessed using a colorimetric caspase activity assay.Results:Cisplatin and peanut(KK4 and ICG15042)testa extracts inhibited the growth of cholangiocarcinoma cell lines(KKUM214 and KKU-100 cells)in a dose-and time-dependent manner.The combination treatments reduced cell viability and induced apoptosis of cholangiocarcinoma cells more efficiently than singledrug treatments.Cancer cell death synergistically mediated by cisplatin and peanut testa extracts was observed in KKU-M214 cells(combination index<1.0)but not in KKU-100 cells(combination index>1.0).The combination treatments also increased the subG1 population and caused KKU-M214 cell cycle arrest at S and G2/M phases,which were the combined effects of cisplatin(S phase arrest)and peanut testa extracts(G2/M phase arrest).In addition,p ERK1/2,Ac-H3,Bcl-2 and proteins related to apoptosis,including Bax and caspases 3,8,9,exhibited enhanced expression in KKUM214 cells.The combination treatments caused down-regulation of p53,whereas the expression of p21 was fairly constant when compared with cisplatin single drug treatment.Conclusions:Peanut testa extracts in combination with cisplatin synergistically reduce cell viability and induce apoptosis through stimulation of caspases 3,8 and 9 in KKU-M214 cells.

Effects of histone deacetylase inhibitors on transcriptional regulation of the hsp70 gene in Drosophila

Histone acetyltransferases/deacetylases contribute to the activation or inactivation of transcription by modifying the structure of chromatin. Here we examined the effects ofhistone deacetylase inhibitors （HDIs）, trichostatin A, and sodium butyrate on hsp70 gene transcriptional regulation in Drosophila. The chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed that HDI treatments induced the hyperacetylation of histone H3 at the promoter and the transcribing regions of hsp 70 gene, increased the accessibility of heat-shock factor to target heat-shock element, and promoted the RNA polymerase Ⅱ-mediated transcription. Moreover, the quantitative real-time PCR confirmed that the HDI-induced hyperacetylation of histone H3 enhanced both the basal and the inducible expression of hsp70 mRNA level. In addition, the acetylation level ofhistone H3 at the promoter exhibited a fluctuated change upon the time of heat shock. These experimental data implicated a causal link between histone acetylation and enhanced transcription initiation of hsp 70 gene in Drosophila.

Induction of Myelogenous Leukemia Cells with Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors through Down-regulating the Daxx Protein Expression

The effects of two different histone deacetylase （HDAC） inhibitors, sodium butyrate （NAB） and trichostatin A （TSA）,on apoptosis of human leukemic cells in vitro and the molecular mechanisms were investigated. The experiments were divided up 5 groups： control group, NaB group, TSA group, NaB＋Z-VAD-FMK group and TSA＋Z-VAD-FMK group. The apoptosis rate was determined by mor- phological analysis and flow cytomytry. The expression of Daxx, Bcl-2, and Bcl-xl proteins was detected by Western blot. NaB and TSA could induce the apoptosis of HL-60 and K562 cells, and Z-VAD-FMK caused a marked decrease in apoptosis induced by HDAC inhibitors. HDAC inhibitors could down-regulate the expression of Daxx protein, but had no significant influence on the expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl proteins. The results suggested that NaB and TSA induce distinct caspase-dependent apoptosis of human leukemic cells through down-regulating the expression of Daxx protein in vitro.

Synergy of DNA methylation and histone deacetylase inhibitors in the re-expression of RASSF1A and P16 genes silenced in QBC cells

Objective: To investigate the effects of DNA methylation and histone deacetylase inhibitors in the re-expression of P16 and RASSIF1A of QBC939. Methods: The QBC939 cells were treated with hydralazine and valproate either alone or combined, and the control group was added with RPIM-1640 culture medium. After 48 h, the expression of P16 and RASSF1A genes were evaluated by reverse transcription-PCR, Western blot, and the methylation status of the two genes were detected with MSP (methylation specific PCR). Results: Hydralazine and valproate could induce demethylation of the promoter region of the two genes, and could make them re-active. The expressions of P16 and RASSF1A of cells treated with both drugs were higher than that of the cells treated with either hydralazine or valproate (P < 0.01). There was no RASSF1A gene, and few P16 gene expressing in the control group. The demethylation effect could be found in the groups treated with hydralazine or both drugs, whereas no demethylation effect happened in the valproate group. Conclusion: The two drugs could synergistically re-express P16 and RASSF1A genes silenced in QBC939, and they exerted a great anti-tumour effect on QBC cells.

Inhibitory Effect of Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor on the Proliferation of Leukemia Cells and Its Anti-Tumor Pharmacology

The aim of this study was to explore the inhibitory effect of histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACI) on the proliferation of leukemia cells. The two kinds of leukemia cells (human promyelocytic leukemia cell (HL-60) and human acute myelogenous leukemia cell (KG-1)) were selected for in vitro research. Besides, Chidamide, a kind of benzamide HDACI, was applied to induce and culture the HL-60 and KG-1 cells, and the anti-tumor cell proliferation activity of Chidamide on HL-60 and KG-1 was detected by the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay, which was 5.6 and 6.1 in turn. The cell scratch experiment verified that Chidamide had the metastasis inhibitory effect on HL-60 and KG-1 cells. Flow cytometry was employed to measure the percentage of apoptotic cells, and it was found that the percentage of apoptotic cells was 55.6% ± 1% and 48.6% ± 1% in sequence after HL-60 and KG-1 cells were treated with Chidamide for 36 hours. The number of auto-phagosomes was determined by transmission electron microscopy showing that the number of auto-phagosomes in HL-60 and KG-1 cells was 12 ± 1 and 10 ± 1, respectively after the induction process of Chidamide. The phosphorylated histone H2AX protein (γ-H2AX) recognition antibody immunofluorescence method was adopted to determine the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage, and the positive rates of HL-60 and KG-1 cells reached 28.41% and 26.35%, respectively after Chidamide treatment. Therefore, Chidamide, as a kind of HDACI, could effectively inhibit the proliferation of leukemia cells, so that the results of this experiment had a good guiding meaning for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of leukemia.

Entinostat,a classⅠselective histone deacetylase inhibitor,plus exemestane for Chinese patients with hormone receptor-positive advanced breast cancer:A multicenter,randomized,double-blind,placebo-controlled,phase 3 trial

Entinostat plus exemestane in hormone receptor-positive(HR+)advanced breast cancer(ABC)previously showed encouraging outcomes.This multicenter phase 3 trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of entinostat plus exemestane in Chinese patients with HR+ABC that relapsed/progressed after≥1 endocrine therapy.Patients were randomized(2:1)to oral exemestane 25 mg/day plus entinostat(n=235)or placebo(n=119)5 mg/week in 28-day cycles.The primary endpoint was the independent radiographic committee(IRC)-assessed progression-free survival(PFS).The median age was 52(range,28—75)years and 222(62.7%)patients were postmenopausal.CDK4/6 inhibitors and fulvestrant were previously used in 23(6.5%)and 92(26.0%)patients,respectively.The baseline characteristics were comparable between the entinostat and placebo groups.The median PFS was 6.32(95%CI,5.30—9.11)and 3.72(95%CI,1.91—5.49)months in the entinostat and placebo groups(HR,0.76;95%CI,0.58—0.98;P=0.046),respectively.Grade≥3 adverse events(AEs)occurred in 154(65.5%)patients in the entinostat group versus 23(19.3%)in the placebo group,and the most common grade≥3 treatment-related AEs were neutropenia[103(43.8%)],thrombocytopenia[20(8.5%)],and leucopenia[15(6.4%)].Entinostat plus exemestane significantly improved PFS compared with exemestane,with generally manageable toxicities in HR+ABC(ClinicalTrials.gov#NCT03538171).

Histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A induced caspase-independent apoptosis in human gastric cancer cell

Background Histone deacetylase inhibitors （HDACIs） have been reported to induce apoptosis in cancer cells. The effects of trichostatin A （TSA） on gastric cancer cells have not been well characterized. This study was aimed to explore the effects and mechanisms of TSA on human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells. Methods The cells were treated with TSA and analyzed by cell proliferation assay, Western blot, TUNEL assay, flow cytometry by fluorescein isothiocyanate （FITC） conjugated with Annexin V and PI staining, immunofluorescence analysis, analysis of subcellular fractionation, gene chips and real time polymerase chain reaction （PCR）. Results TSA could inhibit cell growth and induced apoptosis in gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells through the regulation of apoptosis-related genes, such as Bcl-2, Bax and survivin. Further study indicated that the pan-caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk did not inhibit the apoptosis induced by TSA, and we did not observe the cleavage of poly ADP ribose polymerase （PARP） after TSA treatment too. In addition, apoptosis inducing factor （AIF） and EndoG were found to translocate from mitochondria to nucleus in the immunofluorescence assay and the Western analysis of subcellular fractionation confirmed the result of immunofluorescence assay. Conclusions The apoptosis induced by TSA in gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells involves a caspase-independent pathway.

Epigenetic reprogramming, gene expression and in vitro development of porcine SCNT embryos are significantly improved by a histone deacetylase inhibitor--- m-carboxycinnamic acid bishydroxamide （CBHA）

Insufficient epigenetic reprogramming of donor nuclei is believed to be one of the most important causes of low development efficiency of mammalian somatic cell nuclear transfer （SCNT）. Previous studies have shown that both the in vitro and in vivo development of mouse SCNT embryos could be increased significantly by treat- ment with various histone deacetylase inhibitors （HDACi）, including Trichostatin A, Scriptaid, and m-carboxycin- namic acid bishydroxamide （CBHA）, in which only the effect of CBHA has not yet been tested in other species. In this paper we examine the effect of CBHA treatment on the development of porcine SCNT embryos. We have dis- covered the optimum dosage and time for CBHA treat- ment： incubating SCNT embryos with 2 pmol/L CBHA for 24 h after activation could increase the blastocyst rate from 12.7% to 26.5%. Immunofluorescence results showed that the level of acetylation at histone 3 lysine 9 （AcH3K9）, acetylation at histone 3 lysine 18 （AcH3K18）, and acetylation at histone 4 lysine 16 （AcH4K16） was raised after CBHA treatment. Meanwhile, CBHA treatment improved the expression of development relating genes such as pou5fl, cdx2, and the imprinted genes like igf2. Despite these promising in vitro results and histone reprogramming, the full term development was notsignificantly increased after treatment. In conclusion, CBHA improves the in vitro development of pig SCNT embryos, increases the global histone acetylation and corrects the expression of some developmentally important genes at early stages. As in mouse SCNT, we have shown that nuclear epigenetic reprogramming in pig early SCNT embryos can be modified by CBHA treatment.

3D-QSAR Models of Anti-tumor Activity for Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors Containing Dihydropyridin-2-one

A 3D-QSAR study was conducted to analyze the anti-tumor activity(pHs,s=1,6)of dihydropyridin-2-one containing histone deacetylase inhibitor(DHDACi)to histone deacetylase(HDACs,s=1,6)by the comparative molecular field analysis(CoMFA)method.The predicting model was established based on the training set of 22 compounds,which was verified by the test set of 6 compounds containing template molecule.The results showed that the contributions of steric and electrostatic fields to pH1 are 37.6%and 62.4%,and those to pH6 are 44.6%and 55.4%,respectively.The coefficients of the cross-validation(Rcv2)and the non cross-validation(R2)are 0.574 and 0.947 for pH1,and 0.488 and 0.884 for pH6,respectively.The models were then used to predict the activities of the compounds for the training and testing sets.The results indicated that the models had strong stability and good predictability.Based on the 3D contour maps,several new potential inhibitors with higher anti-tumor activity were designed.However,the effectiveness of these potential inhibitors is still needed to be verified by the experimental results.

Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors Romidepsin and Vorinostat Promote Hepatitis B Virus Replication by Inducing Cell Cycle Arrest

Background and Aims:Chronic hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection is a global public health challenge.HBV reactivation usually occurs in cancer patients after receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy or immunosuppressive therapies.Romidepsin(FK228)and vorinostat(SAHA)are histone deacetylase inhibitors(HDACi)approved by the Food and Drug Administration as novel antitumor agents.The aim of this study was to explore the effects and mechanisms of HDACi treatment on HBV replication.Methods:To assess these effects,human hepatoma cell lines were cultured and cell viability after FK228 or SAHA treatment was measured by the CCK-8 cell counting kit-8 assay.Then,HBV DNA and RNA were quantified by real-time PCR and Southern blotting.Furthermore,analysis by western blotting,enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),immunohistochemistry,and flow cytometry was performed.Results:FK228/SAHA treatment significantly promoted HBV replication and biosynthesis in both HBV-replicating cells and HBV-transgenic mouse model.Flow cytometry assay indicated that FK228/SAHA enhanced HBV replication by inducing cell cycle arrest through modulating the expression of cell cycle regulatory proteins.In addition,simultaneous inhibition of HDAC1/2 by FK228 promoted HBV replication more effectively than the broad spectrum HDAC inhibitor SAHA.Conclusions:Overall,our results demonstrate that cell cycle blockage plays an important role in FK228/SAHAenhanced HBV replication,thus providing a potential avenue for rational use of HDACi in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Combined inhibitors of angiogenesis and histone deacetylase:Efficacy in rat hepatoma

AIM:To evaluate the antitumoral effect of combined inhibitors of angiogenesis and histone deacetylases in an experimental rat hepatoma model.METHODS:MH7777A hepatoma cells were injected into the liver of male Buffalo rats.After 7 d treatment with the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor antagonist PTK787/ZK222584(PTK/ZK),the histone deacetylase inhibitor MS-275,tamoxifen(TAM) and/or retinoic acid was initiated(n ≥ 8 animals/group).Natural tumor development was shown in untreated control groups(control 1 with n = 12,control 2 with n = 8).The control groups were initiated at different time points to demonstrate the stability of the hepatoma model.For documentation of possible side effects,we documented any change in body weight,loss of fur and diarrhea.After 21 d treatment,the rats were euthanized.Main target parameters were tumor size and metastasis rate.Additionally,immunohistochemistry for the proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA) and TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling(TUNEL) assay were performed.RESULTS:The control groups developed large tumor nodules with extrahepatic tumor burden in the lung and abdominal organs(control 1:6.18 cm3 ± 4.14 cm3 and control 2:8.0 cm3 ± 4.44 cm3 28 d after tumor cell injection).The tumor volume did not differ significantly in the control groups(P = 0.13).As single agents MS-275 and PTK/ZK reduced tumor volume by 58.6% ± 2.6% and 48.7% ± 3.2% vs control group 1,which was significant only for MS-275(P = 0.025).The combination of MS-275 and PTK/ZK induced a nearly complete and highly significant tumor shrinkage by 90.3% ± 1%(P = 0.005).Addition of TAM showed no further efficacy,while quadruple therapy with retinoic acid increased antitumoral efficacy(tumor reduction by 93 ± 1%) and side effects.PCNA positive cells were not significantly reduced by the single agents,while dual therapy(MS-275 and PTK/ZK) and quadruple therapy reduced the PCNA-positive cell fraction significantly by 9.1 and 20.6% vs control 1(P < 0.05).The number of TUNEL-positive cells,markers for ongoing apoptosis,was increased significantly by the single agents(control 1:6.9%,PTK/ZK:11.4%,MS-275:12.2% with P < 0.05 vs control 1).The fraction of TUNEL-positive cells was upregulated highly significantly by dual therapy(18.4%) and quadruple therapy(24.8%,P < 0.01 vs control 1).For the proliferating(PCNA positive) and apoptotic cell fraction,quadruple therapy was significantly superior to dual therapy(P = 0.01).CONCLUSION:Combined PTK/ZK and MS-275 were highly effective in this hepatoma model.Quadruple therapy enhanced the effects microscopically,but not macroscopically.These results should be investigated further.

Histone deacetylase inhibitor promotes differentiation of embryonic stem cells into neural cells in adherent monoculture

Background Embryonic stem （ES） cells poss unlimited self-renewal capacity and the ability to differentiate into cell of all three germ layers in vitro. Induced differentiation of ES cells to neural lineage cells has great potential in basic study of neurogenesis and regeneration therapy of neurodegenerative diseases. Histone deacetylase （HDAC） inhibitors enhance histone acetylation so that globularly activate gene expression and may initiate multilineage differentiation. In this study,we aimed to develop a method to induce the differentiation of ES cells to neural cells combining HDAC inhibition and neural cellselection.Methods In this study, we used HDAC inhibitor sodium butyrate （NAB） to induce the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells to neural cells through monolayer culture. After differentiation initiation by histone deacetylase inhibitor sodium butyrate, neural cells were induced and selected with a serum free culture system. Results Homogeneous neurons without glial cells demonstrated by molecular marker expression were differentiated with the method. The resultant neurons were excitable. Conclusion The method combined differentiation induction effect of HDAC inhibitors and selective culture system to derive neural cells from ES cells, and implied the involvement of epigenetic regulation in neural differentiation.

Novel hybrids from N-hydroxyarylamide and indole ring through click chemistry as histone deacetylase inhibitors with potent antitumor activities

Novel hybrid molecules 8a-8o were designed and synthesized by connecting indole ring with N- hydroxyarylamide through alkyl substituted triazole, and their in vitro biological activities were evaluated. It was discovered that most of target compounds showed promising anticancer activities, particularly for 8n, which had a significant HDACs inhibitory and antiproliferative activities comparable to or slightly stronger than SAHA against human carcinoma cells. Furthermore, compound 8n exhibited much better selectivity for HDAC1 over HDAC6 and HDAC8 than SAHA. In addition, compound 8n also could dose-dependently induce cancer cell cycling arrest at G0/G1 phase and promote the expression of the acetylation for histone H3 and tubulin in vitro. Therefore, our novel findings may provide a new framework for the design of new selective HDAC inhibitor for the treatment of cancer.

Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor SAHA Induces Expression of Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 4 and Inhibits Replication of Human Cytomegalovirus

Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid(SAHA) is a histone deacetylase inhibitor that shows marked efficacy against many types of cancers and is approved to treat severe metastatic cutaneous T-cell lymphomas. In addition to its anticancer activity,SAHA has significant effects on the growth of many viruses. The effect of SAHA on replication of human cytomegalovirus(HCMV) has not, however, been investigated. Here, we showed that the replication of HCMV was significantly suppressed by treatment with SAHA at concentrations that did not show appreciable cytotoxicity. SAHA reduced transcription and protein levels of HCMV immediate early genes, showing that SAHA acts at an early stage in the viral life-cycle. RNAsequencing data mining showed that numerous pathways and molecules were affected by SAHA. Interferon-mediated immunity was one of the most relevant pathways in the RNA-sequencing data, and we confirmed that SAHA inhibits HCMV-induced IFN-mediated immune responses using quantitative Real-time PCR(qRT-PCR). Fatty acid-binding protein 4(FABP4), which plays a role in lipid metabolism, was identified by RNA-sequencing. We found that FABP4 expression was reduced by HCMV infection but increased by treatment with SAHA. We then showed that knockdown of FABP4 partially rescued the effect of SAHA on HCMV replication. Our data suggest that FABP4 contributes to the inhibitory effect of SAHA on HCMV replication.

Progress in clinical trial of histone deacetylase(HDAC) inhibitors for non-small cell lung cancers

Histone deacetylase(HDAC) inhibitors, which represent a structurally diverse group of molecules, have emerged as a novel therapeutic class of molecules with significant anticancer potential. Vorinostat and romidepsin, known as the first generation of HDAC inhibitors, were approved in the United States for the treatment of T-cell lymphomas. Preliminary activity of HDAC inhibitors has also been observed in non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) in combination with the existing treatment regimens, of which is the focus of the current review.

Inhibition of histone deacetylase for the treatment of biliary tract cancer:A new effective pharmacological approach

AIM： To investigate in vitro and in vivo therapeutic effects of histone deacetylase inhibitors NVP-LAQ824 and NVP-LBH589 on biliary tract cancer. METHODS： Cell growth inhibition by NVP-LAQ824 and NVP-LBH589 was studied in vitro in 7 human biliary tract cancer cell lines by MTT assay. In addition, the antitumoral effect of NVP-LBH589 was studied in a chimeric mouse model. Anti-tumoral drug mechanism was assessed by immunoblotting for acH4 and p21^WAFl/CIP-1, PARP assay, cell cycle analysis, TUNEL assay, and immunhistochemistry for MIB-1. RESULTS： In vitro treatment with both compounds significantly suppressed the growth of all cancer cell lines [mean IC50 （3 d） 0.11 and 0.05 μmol/L, respectively], and was associated with hyperacetylation of nucleosomal histone H4, increased expression of p21^WAF-1/CIP-1, induction of apoptosis （PARP cleavage）, and cell cycle arrest at G2/M checkpoint. After 28 d, NVP- LBH589 significantly reduced tumor mass by 66% （bile duct cancer） and 87% （gallbladder cancer） in vivo in comparison to placebo, and potentiated the efficacy of gemcitabine. Further analysis of the tumor specimens revealed increased apoptosis by TUNEL assay and reduced cell proliferation （MIB-1）. CONCLUSION： Our findings suggest that NVP-LBH589 and NVP-LAQ824 are active against human biliary tract cancer in vitro. In addition, NVP-LBH589 demonstrated significant in vivo activity and potentiated the efficacy of gemcitabine. Therefore, further clinical evaluation of this new drug for the treatment of biliary tract cancer is recommended.