Pan HDACi Valproic Acid and Trichostatin A Show Apparently Contrasting Inflammatory Responses in Cultured J774A.1 Macrophages.

This study was initiated as an attempt to clarify some of the apparent conflicting data regarding the so-called anti-inflammatory versus proinflammatory properties of histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis). In cell culture, typically, chronic pretreatment with the HDACi valproic acid (VPA) and trichostatin A (TSA) exhibits an anti-inflammatory effect. However, the effect of acute treatment with VPA and TSA on the levels of inflammatory cytokines in J774A.

The Antiepileptic Drug and Toxic Teratogen Valproic Acid Alters Microglia in an Environmental Mouse Model of Autism.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental condition affecting approximately 1 in 44 children in North America, is thought to be a connectivity disorder. Valproic acid (VPA) is a multi-target drug widely used to treat epilepsy. It is also a toxic teratogen as well as a histone deacetylase inhibitor, and fetal exposure to VPA increases the risk of ASD.