Vorinostat (SAHA)

Vorinostat (SAHA) inhibits the activities of HDAC1 and HDAC3 with IC50 of 10 nM and 20 nM, respectively, and also results in a marked hyperacetylation of histone H4. ^[1] This compound inhibits the growth of three prostate cancer cell lines LNCaP, PC-3 and TSU-Pr1 at micromolar concentrations (2.5-7.5 μM), and induces dose-dependent cell death in LNCaP cells. ^[2] Its treatment in MCF-7 cells inhibits cell proliferation at an IC50 of 0.75 μM resulting in the accumulation of cells in the G1 and G2-M phase of the cell cycle. It also induces differentiation in the estrogen receptor-negative cell line SKBr-3 and the retinoblastoma-negative cell line MDA-468. ^[3] Treatment with this compound at 1 μM for 8 hours or more is sufficient to irreversibly induce apoptosis of human multiple myeloma (MM) cells. The gene expression profiles of Vorinostat-treated MM cells are not hallmarked by global transcriptional activation, but by coordinated transcriptional changes of specific functional groups of genes such as cytokine-induced proliferative/survival signaling cascades, oncogenes-tumor suppressor genes, regulators of apoptosis, DNA synthesis-repair and cell cycle, and proteasome-ubiquitin function. ^[4]

Administration of Vorinostat (SAHA) (~100 mg/kg/day) significantly inhibits the growth of CWR22 human prostate xenografts in nude mice with tumor reductions of 78%, 97% and 97%, at doses of 25 mg/kg/day, 50 mg/kg/day and 100 mg/kg/day, respectively, compared with control. This compound induces the accumulation of acetylated core histones and prostate-specific antigen mRNA expression in CWR22 cells, resulting in higher levels of serum prostate-specific antigen than predicted from tumor volume alone. ^[2] Oral administration of it (0.67g/L) crosses the blood-brain barrier, increases histone acetylation in the brain, and dramatically improves the motor impairment in the R6/2 mice model of Huntington's disease. ^[5]

• Immunoprecipitation-HDAC assays

  The lysate of Jurkat cells is incubated for 1 hour on ice and cleared by centrifugation at 12,000 g for 10 minutes at 4 °C. Supernatants are precleared with 30 μL of 50% protein G-Sepharose slurry for 1 hour at 4 °C. Beads are pelleted by centrifugation and supernatants are incubated for 1 hour at 4 °C with 10 μg of IgG fraction from anti-HDAC1 or HDAC3 polyclonal antisera (preincubated 2 hours at room temperature with either the homologous or heterologous immunizing peptide). Both antisera are raised in rabbits against the carboxylterminal peptide of HDAC1 and HDAC3 by using synthetic peptides coupled to keyhole limpet hemocyanin. 30 μL of 50% protein G-Sepharose slurry is added for 1 hour at 4 °C. Immune complexes are pelleted by centrifugation and washed three times with 1 mL of lysis buffer. Beads are resuspended in 200 μL of HDAC buffer (20 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.0/150 mM NaCl/10% glycerol), and the HDAC assay is performed with an ³H-acetylated peptide corresponding to amino acids 1-24 of histone H4. Released [³H]acetic acid is quantified by scintillation counting. For inhibitions studies, the immunoprecipitated complexes are preincubated with the different concentrations of Vorinostat (SAHA) for 30 minutes at 4 °C.

• Cell lines

  LNCaP, PC-3, and TSU-Pr1

• Concentrations

  Dissolved in DMSO, final concentrations ~7.5 μM

• Incubation Time

  1, 2, 3 and 4 days

• Method

  Vorinostat (SAHA) is exposed to cells at various concentrations for 1, 2, 3 and 4 days. Cell viability is assessed by trypan blue dye exclusion.

• Animal Models

  Male BALB/c nude (nu/nu) mice implanted with CWR22 tumor cells

• Dosages

  25, 50, and 100 mg/kg/day

• Administration

  Injection i.p.