PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Michaelis, Martin
AU  - Michaelis, U. Ruth
AU  - Fleming, Ingrid
AU  - Suhan, Tatyana
AU  - Cinatl, Jaroslav
AU  - Blaheta, Roman A.
AU  - Hoffmann, Katrin
AU  - Kotchetkov, Rouslan
AU  - Busse, Rudi
AU  - Nau, Heinz
AU  - Cinatl, Jindrich
TI  - Valproic Acid Inhibits Angiogenesis in Vitro and in Vivo
AID  - 10.1124/mol.65.3.520
DP  - 2004 Mar 01
TA  - Molecular Pharmacology
PG  - 520--527
VI  - 65
IP  - 3
4099  - http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/65/3/520.short
4100  - http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/65/3/520.full
SO  - Mol Pharmacol2004 Mar 01; 65
AB  - Valproic acid (VPA) is a widely used antiepileptic agent that is undergoing clinical evaluation for anticancer therapy. We assessed the effects of VPA on angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. In human umbilical vein endothelial cells, therapeutically relevant concentrations of VPA (0.25 to 1 mM) inhibited proliferation, migration, and tube formation. VPA 1 mM inhibited endothelial cell proliferation by 51 ± 5%, migration by 86 ± 11%, and tube formation by 82 ± 3%. These changes were preceded by the hyperacetylation of histone H4, indicating the inhibition of histone deacetylase (HDAC), and a decreased expression of the endothelial nitric-oxide synthase (eNOS). The inhibition of endothelial cell tube formation by VPA was prevented by addition of the nitric oxide donor (Z)-1-[2-(2-aminoethyl)-N-(2-ammonioethyl)amino]diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolate (DETA NONOate). The anticonvulsive active VPA derivative 2-ethyl-4-methylpentanoic acid, which does not inhibit HDAC, did not affect endothelial cell proliferation, tube formation, or eNOS expression. VPA was also found to inhibit angiogenesis in vivo in the chicken chorioallantoic membrane assay and in a Matrigel plug assay in mice. Embryos from VPA-treated mice showed disturbed vessel formation. These results indicate that therapeutic plasma levels of VPA inhibit angiogenesis by a mechanism involving a decrease in eNOS expression preceded by HDAC inhibition.