Histone deacetylase inhibitor NaBut suppresses cell proliferation and induces apoptosis by targeting p21 in multiple myeloma.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an extremely serious hematological malignancy that remains incurable due to chemotherapy resistance. Epigenetic regulation is closely associated with progression of MM. Histone deacetylase inhibitor NaBut functions in various physiologic processes, including inflammation and differentiation. Its' possible roles in MM progression have not been explored. In this report, NaBut decreased survival of several human MM cell lines in a dose- and time-dependent manner. NaBut could also lead to cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase in a dose-dependent manner. NaBut inhibited bortezomib-resistant cell proliferation in dose- and time-dependent manners, and NaBut was likely to induce partly bortezomib-resistant MM cell death. Moreover, NaBut induced MM cell apoptosis via transcriptional activation of p21. Overall, our results implicate NaBut as a potential therapeutic drug for MM.