Retinoic acid and sodium butyrate as cell cycle regulators in the treatment of oral squamous carcinoma cells.

All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and sodium butyrate (SB) have shown growth-inhibitory and differentiation-inducing properties to tumor cells when used as single agents or in combination, but the exact molecular mechanism still remains to be determined. In order to determine the mechanism of the synergy in treatment with RA and SB, we evaluated the growth inhibition capability of ATRA and SB, alone or in combination, in human oral squamous carcinoma cell lines SCC-1 and SCC-9, and identified the expression of cell cycle-related genes. ATRA and SB inhibited cell growth and induced cell cycle G1 arrest. The inhibition effect was more pronounced with SB than with ATRA (p = 0.000). There were interactions between ATRA and SB (p = 0.000). Consistent with the inhibition effect and G1 arrest, ATRA and SB, alone or in combination, induced the expression of G1 phase markers cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 6, p21, and p27; inhibited the expression of S-G2 phase proteins CDK2; and decreased Rb phosphorylation. Cyclin D1 expression was increased in the SB- and ATRA + SB-treated groups, but inhibited in the ATRA-treated group. Cyclin B1 and cyclin E expression was slightly decreased in the SB- and ATRA + SB-treated groups, but did not change in the ATRA-treated group. These results indicate that the growth inhibition and G1 arrest of oral squamous carcinoma cells in response to ATRA and/or SB correlates with the induction of G1 phase cell cycle regulatory proteins CDK6, p21, and p27 and the inhibition of S-G2 phase cell cycle regulatory protein CDK2.