• BMB Reports
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• 제44권6호
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• pp.405-409
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• 2011

The present study demonstrated that valproic acid (VPA) transcriptionally regulates human GM3 synthase (hST3Gal V), which catalyzes ganglioside GM3 biosynthesis in ARPE-19 human retinal pigment epithelial cells. For this, we characterized the promoter region of the hST3Gal V gene. Functional analysis of the 5'-flanking region of the hST3Gal V gene revealed that the -177 to -83 region functions as the VPA-inducible promoter and that the CREB/ATF binding site at -143 is crucial for VPA-induced expression of hST3Gal V in ARPE-19 cells. In addition, the transcriptional activity of hST3Gal V induced by VPA in ARPE-19 cells was inhibited by SP600125, a c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor. In summary, our results identified the core promoter region in the hST3Gal V promoter and for the first time demonstrated that ATF2 binding to the CREB/ATF binding site at -143 is essential for transcriptional activation of hST3Gal V in VPA-induced ARPE-19 cells.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• 제36권1호
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• pp.11-20
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• 2011

Valproic acid(VPA)는 아주 잘 알려진 항경련제로서, 30년 동안 간질치료제로서 사용되어져 왔다. VPA는 1997년에 최초로 항암제의 효능이 밝혀졌으며, VPA의 항암효과는 히스톤탈아세틸화효소 억제제의 기전에 기인한다고 규명되었다. 17AAG(17-Allyamnio-17-demethoxygeldanamycin)는 HSP90의 억제제이며, HSP90은 세포증식과 세포생존에 관여하며, 최근 17AAG가 세포자멸사를 유도한다는 연구들이 보고되어지고 있다. 본 연구는 히스톤탈아세틸화효소억제제인 VPA와 HSP90 억제제인 17AAG의 병용처리가 사람골육종세포에 상승 세포자멸사 효과가 있는지를 알기 위해서 수행되었다. VPA과 17AAG의 병용처리가 단독처리에 비해서 효과적인 세포생존율 감소가 있는지 확인하기 위해서 trypan-blue법을 시행하였고, 세포자멸사의 유도와 증가를 확인하기 위해서 Hoechst 염색법, flow cytometry(DNA hypoploidy와 MMP 측정), Western bot 분석법 그리고 면역형광염색법을 수행하였다. 병용처리 된 사람골육종세포는 단독처리 된 사람골육종세포에서 거의 관찰할 수 없었던 핵 응축과 조각남, 사립체막 전위와 DNA 양의 감소, cytochrome c의 세포질로의 유리, AIF의 핵으로의 이동, caspase-3과 caspase-7의 파괴 및 PARP의 분절화와 같은 세포자멸사 증거를 보였다. 48시간 동안 1 mM의 VPA와 0.5 ${\mu}M$ 17AAG을 각기 단독처리 한 결과에서는 세포자멸사를 유도 못했으나, 병용처리한 결과에는 아주 탁월한 세포자멸사의 유도를 보였다. 이러한 병용처리 결과는 사람골육종의 새로운 치료적 전략으로 응용될 수 있다고 생각한다.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제34권2호
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• pp.173-182
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• 2018

Valproic acid (VPA) plays a role in histone modifications that eventually inhibit the activity of histone deacetylase (HDAC), and will affect the expressions of genes Pdx1, Nkx6.1, and Ngn3 during pancreatic organogenesis. This experiment was designed to study the effect of VPA exposure in pregnant rats on the activity of HDAC that controls the expression of genes regulating the development of beta cells in the pancreas to synthesize and secrete insulin. This study used 30 pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats, divided into 4 groups, as follows: (1) a control group of pregnant rats without VPA administration, (2) pregnant rats administered with 250 mg VPA on day 10 of pregnancy, (3) pregnant rats administered with 250 mg VPA on day 13 of pregnancy, and (4) pregnant rats administered with 250 mg VPA on day 16 of pregnancy. Eighty-four newborn rats born to control rats and rats administered with VPA on days 10, 13, and 16 of pregnancy were used to measure serum glucose, insulin, DNA, RNA, and ratio of RNA/DNA concentrations in the pancreas and to observe the microscopical condition of the pancreas at the ages of 4 to 32 weeks postpartum with 4-week intervals. The results showed that at the age of 32 weeks, the offspring of pregnant rats administered with 250 mg VPA on days 10, 13, and 16 of pregnancy had higher serum glucose concentrations and lower serum insulin concentrations, followed by decreased concentrations of RNA, and the ratio of RNA/DNA in the pancreas. Microscopical observations showed that the pancreas of the rats born to pregnant rats administered with VPA during pregnancy had low immunoreaction to insulin. The exposure of pregnant rats to VPA during pregnancy disturbs organogenesis of the pancreas of the embryos that eventually disturb the insulin production in the beta cells indicated by the decreased insulin secretion during postnatal life.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제29권3호
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• pp.173-179
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• 2013

In-utero exposure to valproic acid (VPA) has been known as a potent inducer of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), not only in humans, but also in animals. In addition to the defects in communication and social interaction as well as repetitive behaviors, ASD patients usually suffer from gastrointestinal (GI) problems. However, the exact mechanism underlying these disorders is not known. In this study, we examined the gross GI tract structure and GI motility in a VPA animal model of ASD. On embryonic day 12 (E12), 4 pregnant Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were subcutaneously injected with VPA (400 mg/kg) in the treatment group, and with phosphate buffered saline (PBS) in the control group; the resulting male offspring were analyzed at 4 weeks of age. VPA exposure decreased the thickness of tunica mucosa and tunica muscularis in the stomach and ileum. Other regions such as duodenum, jejunum, and colon did not show a significant difference. In high-resolution microscopic observation, atrophy of the parietal and chief cells in the stomach and absorptive cells in the ileum was observed. In addition, decreased staining of the epithelial cells was observed in the hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained ileum section. Furthermore, decreased motility in GI tract was also observed in rat offspring prenatally exposed to VPA. However, the mechanism underlying GI tract defects in VPA animal model as well as the association between abnormal GI structure and function with ASD is yet to be clearly understood. Nevertheless, the results from the present study suggest that this VPA ASD model undergoes abnormal changes in the GI structure and function, which in turn could provide beneficial clues pertaining to the pathophysiological relevance of GI complications and ASD phenotypes.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.280-285
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• 2012

The developing embryo naturally experiences relatively low oxygen conditions in vivo. Under in vitro hypoxia, mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) lose their self-renewal activity and display an early differentiated morphology mediated by the hypoxia-inducible factor-$1{\alpha}$ (HIF-$1{\alpha}$). Previously, we demonstrated that histone deacetylase (HDAC) is activated by hypoxia and increases the protein stability and transcriptional activity of HIF-$1{\alpha}$ in many human cancer cells. Furthermore HDAC1 and 3 mediate the differentiation of mECSs and hematopoietic stem cells. However, the role of HDACs and their inhibitors in hypoxia-induced early differentiation of mESCs remains largely unknown. Here, we examined the effects of several histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) on the self-renewal properties of mESCs under hypoxia. Inhibition of HDAC under hypoxia effectively decreased the HIF-$1{\alpha}$ protein levels and substantially improved the expression of the LIF-specific receptor (LIFR) and phosphorylated-STAT3 in mESCs. In particular, valproic acid (VPA), a pan HDACI, showed dramatic changes in HIF-$1{\alpha}$ protein levels and LIFR protein expression levels compared to other HDACIs, including sodium butyrate (SB), trichostatin A (TSA), and apicidin (AP). Importantly, our RT-PCR data and alkaline phosphatase assays indicate that VPA helps to maintain the self-renewal activity of mESCs under hypoxia. Taken together, these results suggest that VPA may block the early differentiation of mESCs under hypoxia via the destabilization of HIF-$1{\alpha}$.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제21권3호
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• pp.222-228
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• 2013

Although the role of ${\alpha}$-synuclein aggregation on Parkinson's disease is relatively well known, the physiological role and the regulatory mechanism governing the expression of ${\alpha}$-synuclein are unclear yet. We recently reported that ${\alpha}$-synuclein is expressed and secreted from cultured astrocytes. In this study, we investigated the effect of valproic acid (VPA), which has been suggested to provide neuroprotection by increasing ${\alpha}$-synuclein in neuron, on ${\alpha}$-synuclein expression in rat primary astrocytes. VPA concentration-dependently increased the protein expression level of ${\alpha}$-synuclein in cultured rat primary astrocytes with concomitant increase in mRNA expression level. Likewise, the level of secreted ${\alpha}$-synuclein was also increased by VPA. VPA increased the phosphorylation of Erk1/2 and JNK and pretreatment of a JNK inhibitor SP600125 prevented the VPA-induced increase in ${\alpha}$-synuclein. Whether the increased ${\alpha}$-synuclein in astrocytes is involved in the reported neuroprotective effects of VPA awaits further investigation.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제33권5호
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• pp.1681-1685
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• 2012

A sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) method was developed to determine valproic acid in human red blood cell (RBC). It is important to measure the drug concentration of the RBC as well as that of the plasma because of drug partitioning for pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic study. The method was linear over the dynamic range of 1-100 ${\mu}g$/mL with a correlation coefficient $r$ = 0.9997. The linearity of this method was established from 1 to 100 ${\mu}g$/mL for valproic acid in red blood cell with accuracy and precision within 15% at all concentrations. The intra-run and inter-run assay accuracy and coefficient of variations are all within 15% for all QC samples prepared in plasma and red blood human samples. Then, valproic acid amount by protein precipitation in plasma was quantified by LC-MS/MS mass spectrometry. The distribution ratio of VPA in RBC and plasma was analyzed by clinical samples. Based on measurement of the valproic acid in human red blood cell, this method has been applied to clinical research for study of distribution ratio of valproic acid in blood.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제22권5호
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• pp.406-413
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• 2014

to valproic acid (VPA) during pregnancy produces ASD-like core behavioral phenotypes as well as hyperactivity in offspring both in human and experimental animals, which makes it a plausible model to study ASD-related neurobiological processes. In this study, we examined the effects of two of currently available attention defecit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications, methylphenidate (MPH) and atomoxetine (ATX) targeting dopamine and norepinephrine transporters (DAT and NET), respectively, on hyperactive behavior of prenatally VPA-exposed rat offspring. In the prefrontal cortex of VPA exposed rat offspring, both mRNA and protein expression of DAT was increased as compared with control. VPA function as a histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) and chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that the acetylation of histone bound to DAT gene promoter was increased in VPA-exposed rat offspring suggesting epigenetic mechanism of DAT regulation. Similarly, the expression of NET was increased, possibly via increased histone acetylation in prefrontal cortex of VPA-exposed rat offspring. When we treated the VPA-exposed rat offspring with ATX, a NET selective inhibitor, hyperactivity was reversed to control level. In contrast, MPH that inhibits both DAT and NET, did not produce inhibitory effects against hyperactivity. The results suggest that NET abnormalities may underlie the hyperactive phenotype in VPA animal model of ASD. Profiling the pharmacological responsiveness as well as investigating underlying mechanism in multiple models of ASD and ADHD may provide more insights into the neurobiological correlates regulating the behavioral abnormalities.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권4호
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• pp.2503-2508
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• 2013

Histone deacetylation mediated by histone deacetylases (HDACs) has been reported as one of the epigenetic mechanisms associated with tumorigenesis. The poor responsiveness of anticancer drugs found with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) leads to short survival rate. We aimed to investigate mRNA expression of HDACs class I and II, and the effect of HDAC inhibitors, suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) and valproic acid (VPA), in CCA in vitro. Expression of HDACs was studied in CCA cell lines (M213, M214 and KKU-100) and an immortal cholangiocyte (MMNK1) by semi-quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. SAHA and VPA, as well as a classical chemotherapeutic drug 5 -fluorouacil (5-FU) were used in this study. Cell proliferation was determined by sulforhodamine assay. $IC_{50}$ and $IC_{20}$ were then analyzed for each agent and cell line. Moreover, synergistic potentional of VPA or SAHA in combination with 5-FU at sub toxic does ($IC_{20}$) of each agent was also evaluated. Statistic difference of HDACs expression or cell proliferation in each experimental condition was analyzed by Student's t-test. The result demonstrated that HDACs were expressed in all studied cell types. Both SAHA and VPA inhibited cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Interestingly, KKU-100 which was less senstitive to classical chemotheraoeutic 5-FU was highly was sensitive to HDAC inhibitors. Simultaneous combination of subtoxic doses of HDAC inhibitors and 5-FU signiicantly inhibited cell proliferation in CCA cell lines compared to single sgent treatment($P{\leq}0.01$), while sequentially combined treatments were less effective. The present study showed inhibitory effects of HDACIs on cell proliferation in CCA cell lines, with synergistic antitumor potential demonstrated by simultaneous combination of VPA or SAHA with 5-FU, suggesting a novel alternative therapeutic strategy in effective treatment of CCA.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제50권5호
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• pp.484-488
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• 2007

목 적 : VPA치료를 받는 소아 청소년기 간질환자들에서 체중증가의 비율과 체중증가에 관련되는 예측 인자를 알아보고자 하였다. 방 법 : 2001년 1월 1일부터 2004년 12월 31일까지 VPA 치료를 받기 시작한 8세에서 17세까지의 환아를 대상으로 하였다. 제외기준은 치료 시작후 6개월 이내 치료가 중단된 경우, 체중에 영향을 주는 약물을 병합한 경우 등이었다. VPA 치료 시작시와 치료 시작 후 한번이상 재방문시에 체중과 신장이 측정되어 두 시점에서 BMI를 측정한 후 대상 환아들을 백분위수에 따라 4가지의 BMI군으로 분류하여 BMI군의 상승여부를 조사했으며 체중증가율을 의미하는 BMI difference를 계산하였다. 또한 체중증가에 영향을 미치는 여러 인자들을 회귀분석 하였다. 결 과 : 전체 36명중 총 8명의 환아가 VPA 치료전보다 최소 한 단계 이상의 BMI군의 상승변화를 보였으며 대상환아의 72.2%에서 체중증가(BMI difference의 증가)를 나타내었다. 신경정신 발달(P=0.017), 간질 형태(P=0.001), 투약기간(P=0.035)은 통계적으로 유의한 체중증가에 영향을 미치는 예측인자였다. 결 론 : VPA는 간질 환아에서 체중증가를 유발하며 정상 신경정신 발달, 전신 발작형 간질, 12개월 이상의 투약기간이 체중증가의 예측인자로 생각된다. 따라서 VPA 치료를 받는 소아 간질환자에서는 치료 시작 전에 VPA로 인한 체중증가의 가능성을 고려하여 치료 받는 중 BMI의 지속적인 감시측정이 필요할 것으로 생각된다.