Antitumor effects of a novel phenylbutyrate-based histone deacetylase inhibitor, (S)-HDAC-42, in prostate cancer.

PURPOSE To assess the antitumor effects of a novel phenylbutyrate-derived histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, (S)-HDAC-42, vis-à-vis suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) in in vitro and in vivo models of human prostate cancer. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN The in vitro effects of (S)-HDAC-42 and SAHA were evaluated in PC-3, DU-145, or LNCaP human prostate cancer cell lines. Cell viability, apoptosis, and indicators of HDAC inhibition were assessed. Effects on Akt and members of the Bcl-2 and inhibitor of apoptosis protein families were determined by immunoblotting. Immunocompromised mice bearing established s.c. PC-3 xenograft tumors were treated orally with (S)-HDAC-42 (50 mg/kg q.o.d. or 25 mg/kg q.d.) or SAHA (50 mg/kg q.d.) for 28 days. In vivo end points included tumor volumes and intratumoral changes in histone acetylation, phospho-Akt status, and protein levels of Bcl-xL and survivin. RESULTS (S)-HDAC-42 was more potent than SAHA in suppressing the viability of all cell lines evaluated with submicromolar IC50 values. Relative to SAHA, (S)-HDAC-42 exhibited distinctly superior apoptogenic potency, and caused markedly greater decreases in phospho-Akt, Bcl-xL, and survivin in PC-3 cells. The growth of PC-3 tumor xenografts was suppressed by 52% and 67% after treatment with (S)-HDAC-42 at 25 and 50 mg/kg, respectively, whereas SAHA at 50 mg/kg suppressed growth by 31%. Intratumoral levels of phospho-Akt and Bcl-xL were markedly reduced in (S)-HDAC-42-treated mice, in contrast to mice treated with SAHA. CONCLUSIONS (S)-HDAC-42 is a potent orally bioavailable inhibitor of HDAC, as well as targets regulating multiple aspects of cancer cell survival, which might have clinical value in prostate cancer chemotherapy and warrants further investigation in this regard.