Histone deacetylase inhibitors such as sodium butyrate and trichostatin A inhibit vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion from human glioblastoma cells.

We investigated the effects of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors such as sodium butyrate (SB) and trichostatin A (TSA) on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by human glioblastoma T98G, U251MG, and U87MG cells. The glioblastoma cells secreted three VEGF isoforms, VEGF (189), (165), and (121), although the expression levels of VEGF differed between the cell types. Treatment with either 5mM SB or 100 ng/ml TSA reduced VEGF secretion in conditioned media and reduced VEGF mRNA expression. We also studied the expression of VEGF-B, -C, and -D mRNA in human glioblastoma cells and their modulation by HDAC inhibitors. The PCR products of VEGF-B (357bp), VEGF-C (501bp), and VEGF-D (484bp) were amplified in all glioblastoma cells examined. Treatment with SB reduced the expression of VEGF-D mRNA in U251MG cells and the expression of VEGF-B mRNA in U87MG cells. TSA treatment reduced the expression of VEGF-D in U251MG cells. These results suggest that HDAC inhibitors reduce VEGF secretion and modulate the expression of the other VEGF family members, and therefore may inhibit angiogenesis in glioblastoma tissues.